Medical malpractice changes increasingly unlikely

Legislation to radically overhaul Georgia’s medical malpractice system hit another roadblock Monday when Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said she wouldn’t allow the current version of Senate Bill 141 to make it out of the Health and Human Services Committee, which she heads.

Unterman said she thought the bill, which would move patients’ claims from the courts to a first-of-its-kind administrative system, has come a long way since its inception but still has a long way to go. It’s unlikely the bill will be a high priority in this expedited session, she said.

Gov. Nathan Deal has already said it’s not part of his agenda, and House power brokers privately say it’s not expected to gain traction this year.