LA SB212

Maintains the $500,000 cap on medical malpractice damages but excludes both past and future medical care costs AND past and future income loss from that cap, and applies the limit per claimant rather than per incident

Adds inflation adjustment to liability limits based on Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) changes since September 1, 1975, calculated at the time damages are awarded by final judgment

Gives claimants the option to file directly in court with a certificate of merit instead of requiring mandatory medical review panel review before initiating judicial proceedings

Requires post-trial evidentiary hearing within 30 days of judgment to determine if the patient or their representative is competent to manage future medical care awards; if found incompetent, funds must be placed in a qualified trust under 42 U.S.C. §1396p(d)(4)

Repeals provisions allowing the Patient's Compensation Fund to require periodic physical examinations of patients receiving future medical benefits and related procedural requirements