Relating to the statute of repose in medical malpractice claims

This bill relates to the statute of repose for medical malpractice claims. Under current law, medical malpractice claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations and six-year statute of repose. A statute of limitations bars the right to bring an accrued action after a specified time, whereas a statute of repose terminates any right of action after a specified time, regardless of whether or not an injury has yet occurred.1(9)(a) requires that medical malpractice claims be brought within two years after the date on which the claimant knew, should have known through the use of reasonable diligence, or received notice in writing of the existence of, the injury or death for which damages are sought in the action, whichever of the dates occurs first. 1(9)(a) bars actions brought more than six years after the date of the act or omission alleged to have been the cause of the injury or death, but exempts from the statute of repose cases where a foreign object was unintentionally left in the body and caused the injury or death. The bill provides a second exception to the six-year statute of repose. Under the bill, if the cause of the injury or death was concealed from the person by the physician and surgeon, osteopathic physician and surgeon, dentist, podiatric physician, optometrist, pharmacist, chiropractor, physician assistant, nurse, or hospital, or their staff, the six-year statute of repose does not apply.