House passes bill limiting recoverable medical damages to amounts actually paid

The Arkansas House of Representatives passed House Bill 12-04 on a 71–18–5 vote, changing how courts calculate recoverable medical damages in tort cases.

Supporters said the bill limits a plaintiff’s recoverable medical expenses to the amount actually paid or accepted as full payment rather than the provider’s billed amount. Representative Eubanks, who presented the bill, said, “When I filed this bill, I don't think I thought it through real well,” and then described the proposal as aligning recoveries with what was ‘‘actually accepted as full and final payment.’’

The bill’s sponsors and backers said the change is intended to prevent awards based on inflated hospital bills and to curb litigation-driven costs that they say increase…