MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CHANGES

SB 8 changes venue rules for medical malpractice lawsuits, requiring them to be filed only in the county where the patient received the treatment at issue. It limits recovery from New Mexico's Patient's Compensation Fund, requires fund payments to be made as expenses occur (not all at once), and caps attorney fees in malpractice claims. The bill also creates a new Patient Safety Improvement Fund and removes a requirement for surcharges intended to fund the compensation fund's solvency. These changes directly affect patients filing medical malpractice claims, healthcare providers, and the administration of the Patient's Compensation Fund.