Providing for the use of best practice guidelines in medical +malpractice cases as an absolute defense against allegations; limiting the amount of +damages allowed to be awarded for noneconomic losses in malpractice actions +against health care providers regardless of the number of parties involved, +prohibiting disclosure of the limit to the trier of fact, requiring reduction of +amounts awarded in excess of the limit; limiting the amount of punitive, +exemplary and similar damages allowed to be awarded, requiring damages awarded to +be paid directly to the Minnesota comprehensive health association (MCHA) to +be used to reduce member assessments; prohibiting the award of excessive +attorney fees, specifying certain limits; imposing a separate limit on damages +recoverable from private nonprofit hospitals (mk)