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H 1966MASSACHUSETTSSession 194thState Billin committee

Massachusetts bill H.1966 requires proportional sharing of legal fees and caps insurer liens on injury recovery proceeds

Original title: An Act concerning equitable allocation of recovery proceeds for subrogation claims

Last action · February 9, 2026: Accompanied a new draft, see H5062Sponsor: Jeff Roy

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Would Do

Massachusetts bill H.1966 requires health maintenance organizations and medical insurers to share attorney's fees and costs in proportion to the amounts they recover from judgments or settlements. It limits an insurer's or right of reimbursement to its proportionate share of the recovery based on the complete value of the injured person's tort damages, and permits courts to reduce liens when available funds are less than total damages.

Why it matters

Changes how much money injured patients must pay back to their health insurers or health maintenance organizations out of personal injury settlements or court judgments, and allows courts to reduce insurer s if total funds do not cover all damages.

Background

Jeffrey N. Roy serves as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing Franklin. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

injured persons

Injured individuals share legal expenses proportionally with insurers and may have insurer reimbursement liens reduced by a court if funds are insufficient.

Directly affected

health maintenance organizations and medical insurers

Insurers must contribute to attorney's fees and are restricted from claiming reimbursement liens that exceed their proportionate share of a recovery.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are attorney's fees divided between an injured person and an insurer under this bill?

Attorney's fees and costs incurred in obtaining a judgment, compromise, or settlement must be divided between the health maintenance organization, hospital, or medical service corporation and the injured person in proportion to the amounts each receives from the recovery.

Can a court reduce an insurer's lien if the settlement funds are insufficient to cover all damages?

Yes, if the settlement, judgment, or available funds are less than the plaintiff's total damages, the court may reduce the insurer's after a hearing and after evaluating the plaintiff's total cognizable damages at law.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

6 actions

Feb 9, 2026House
Accompanied a new draft, see H5062
Nov 4, 2025Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
Nov 4, 2025Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-02:30 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
Oct 29, 2025Joint
Hearing scheduled for 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
Feb 27, 2025Senate
Senate concurred
Feb 27, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

Jeff Roy, The Judiciary

PersonJeff Roy“Representative who filed the petition for House, No. 1966”Map →

OrganizationThe Judiciary“Committee to which the petition was referred”Map →

Sources

Open source document

malegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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