The Affordable Care Act is Not Tort Reform

Authors

Andrew F. Popper, American University Washington College of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Journal

Catholic University Law Review

Volume

65

Issue

1

Abstract

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Prior to the enactment of the PPACA, Congress held several hearings focused on subrogation and relaxation of collateral source restrictions as well as caps on damages in an effort to promote tort reform. While the ACA included provisions on medical liability reform, the suggested tort reform was thwarted, and the ACA had no actual legal effect on limiting medical malpractice liability. This article argues that the reality is that the PPACA has done nothing to change the admissibility of collateral sources nor has it enhanced subrogation rights and to do so would deprive plaintiffs of much needed resources to fund future medical expenses. The notion that the PPACA was designed to reform tort liability is, at best, a fallacy.

Recommended Citation

Andrew F. Popper, The Affordable Care Act is Not Tort Reform, 65 (2016).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_lawrev/825