Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senatethat encourages states to develop, implement and evaluate new andbetter ways to deal with medical malpractice cases.

The legislation–”The Fair and Reliable Medical Justice Act of2007″–will allow states to craft tailored, new alternatives thatwill speed the resolution of disputes, make patients safer andmaintain access to affordable, quality health care, according toits primary sponsors, Sen. Max Baucus, D.-Montana, and Sen. MikeEnzi, R-Wyoming.

“If we can move beyond the broken process used today, patientswon't lose access to affordable care when doctors raise their ratesor even move away to find cheaper malpractice premiums,” said Sen.Baucus. “Doctors can be more forthcoming when mistakes are made,and everyone can have more faith in the health care system.”

The legislation would fund 10 pilot projects for statesproposing new methods of resolving medical malpractice claims andreducing medical errors.

It would also create a panel of experts–organized and headed bythe Government Accountability Office–to choose among stateproposals and report back to Congress on the effectiveness of thefunded plans.

The bill is similar to legislation the senators introducedtogether in the 109th Congress.

However, this year's legislation makes a number of changes toincrease flexibility for states seeking new ways to deal withmalpractice cases, heighten emphasis on patient safety and provideCongress with greater oversight, the senators said.

Companion legislation is being introduced in the House by Reps.Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., and Mac Thornberry, R-Texas.

“Dealing with the medical malpractice crisis is a real balancingact,” according to Sen. Baucus. He said that making the systemsaner will bring doctors' malpractice insurance premiums down, andthat will lower costs for everyone.

But he also cautioned that any changes to medical malpracticelaws “must put patient safety first and ensure fair and fastcompensation to those who are hurt by medical errors.”