Legislation in New York would significantly change medical malpractice law by allowing patients to sue years after an alleged misdiagnosis or mistreatment.
Plaintiffs now must file suits within 2½ years after the alleged malpractice.
The bill would start the clock when a patient first realizes they were possibly misdiagnosed or harmed by a medical professional — as long as the lawsuit is filed within 10 years of the original incident.
Supporters say it can take patients several years to discover they received poor treatment.
New York's Medical Society opposes the change, saying it would raise malpractice insurance rates and cause "disastrous" increases in health care costs.
Many states allow lawsuits after an alleged injury is discovered, though most require them to be filed within a few years of the incident.
