Protecting safe, quality health care
For nearly 50 years, Colorado has maintained a strong legal and regulatory framework that takes a balanced approach to protecting patients and medical professionals. Key principles include:
Keeping Reasonable Limits on Non-Economic Damages
What this means: Non-economic damages are awards for things like pain and suffering. These limits do not apply to economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages or future care costs.
Why it matters: If it becomes too costly to practice medicine, Colorado’s medical specialists, such as OB/GYNs or vascular surgeons, could leave the state or limit their services. Reasonable limits help keep medical professional’s insurance premiums stable. That helps clinics stay open—especially in rural and underserved areas—and helps patients avoid even higher health care costs as a result of defensive medicine.
What’s the law: In 2024, legislation was passed that drastically increases the cap on noneconomic damages from $300,000 to $875,000 in stages over five years, after which an inflationary factor is applied.
Protecting Confidential Professional Review (Peer Review)
What this means: In hospitals and health care settings, medical professionals meet routinely to review cases, learn from what went well and what didn’t, and discuss ways to improve care. Serious or adverse outcomes must be reported to licensing boards.
Why it matters: Confidentiality encourages honest discussion that leads to a safer health care system by enabling open learning and timely fixes, while maintaining accountability and patient privacy.
What’s the law: Committees are granted specific legal protections, including confidentiality. All states are encouraged to have professional review laws that provide confidentiality, and Colorado’s approach is a national best practice used in 49 states.
Why This Matters to Colorado
Strong Quality: Colorado consistently ranks among the top states for health care quality and affordability, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
Fair Recourse: Patients have a clear, fair path to bring claims and receive compensation when something goes wrong.
Access to Care: A stable, predictable system helps attract and keep doctors, nurses and physician assistants in the state—supporting timely access to primary and specialty care for all Coloradans.