1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Accessible Care by Curbing Excessive lawSuitS Act of 2017 or the ACCESS Act of 2017 . (b) Table of contents The table of contents of this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings and purpose. Sec. 3. Encouraging speedy resolution of claims. Sec. 4. Compensating patient injury. Sec. 5. Maximizing patient recovery. Sec. 6. Additional health benefits. Sec. 7. Authorization of payment of future damages to claimants in health care lawsuits. Sec. 8. Product liability for health care providers. Sec. 9. Communications following unanticipated outcome. Sec. 10. Notice of intent to commence lawsuit. Sec. 11. Affidavit of merit. Sec. 12. Expert witness qualifications. Sec. 13. Definitions. Sec. 14. Effect on other laws. Sec. 15. Rules of construction. Sec. 16. Effective date. 2. Findings and purpose (a) Findings (1) Effect on health care access and costs Congress finds that the current civil justice system is adversely affecting patient access to health care services, better patient care, and cost-efficient health care, in that the health care liability system without reform is a costly and inefficient mechanism for resolving claims of health care liability and compensating injured patients, and is a deterrent to the sharing of information among health care professionals which impedes efforts to improve patient safety and quality of care. (2) Effect on Federal spending (A) Congress finds that the health care liability litigation systems existing throughout the United States have a significant effect on the amount, distribution, and use of Federal funds because of— (i) the large number of individuals who receive health care benefits under programs operated or financed by the Federal Government; (ii) the large number of individuals who benefit because of the exclusion from Federal taxes of the amounts spent to provide them with health insurance benefits