Changes to the Feres Doctrine?

There has been a recent string of cases where members of the active duty military that have found themselves the victims of medical malpractice and negligence at the hands of military doctors and medical professionals have attempted to sue the government, despite the Feres Doctrine shielding the government from such action, in an attempt to get compensation for their injuries. It had been the hope of many of these cases to set a new precedent through legal challenges to the Feres Doctrine, but a growing number believe there is another way.

Instead of trying to set a legal precedent, there has been talk of Congress taking action that while not eliminating Feres, would make exceptions for thinks like medical malpractice suits by active duty military and their families. Congress has tried this in the past, with Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) most recently authoring a bill in 2009, but it’s not known if the current makeup of Congress will allow such a bill to pass.