(a) In an action for damages due to personal injury or death based upon the provision of professional services by a health care provider, including a person providing services on behalf of a governmental entity, when the parties have not agreed to arbitration of the claim under AS 09.55.535, the court shall appoint within 20 days after the filing of an answer to a summons and complaint a three-person expert advisory panel unless the court decides that an expert advisory opinion is not necessary for a decision in the case. When the action is filed, the court shall, by order, determine the professions or specialties to be represented on the expert advisory panel, giving the parties the opportunity to object or make suggestions.

(b) The expert advisory panel may compel the attendance of witnesses, interview the parties, physically examine the injured person if alive, consult with the specialists or learned works they consider appropriate, and compel the production of and examine all relevant hospital, medical, or other records or materials relating to the health care in issue. The panel may meet in camera, but shall maintain a record of any testimony or oral statements of witnesses, and shall keep copies of all written statements it receives.

(c) Not more than 30 days after selection of the panel, the panel shall make a written report to the parties and to the court, answering the following questions and other questions submitted to the panel by the court in sufficient detail to explain the case and the reasons for the panel's answers:

(1) Why did the claimant seek medical care?

(2) Was a correct diagnosis made? If not, what was incorrect about the diagnosis?

(3) Was the treatment or lack of treatment appropriate? If not, what was inappropriate about the treatment or lack of treatment?

(4) Was the claimant injured during the course of evaluation or treatment or by failure to diagnose or treat?

(5) If the answer to question 4 is “yes,” what is the nature and extent of the medical injury?

(6) What specifically caused the medical injury?

(7) Was the medical injury caused by unskillful care? Explain.

(8) If a medical injury had not occurred, what would have been the likely outcome of the medical case?

(d) In any case in which the answer to one or more of the questions submitted to the panel depends upon the resolution of factual questions that are not the proper subject of expert opinion, the report must so state and may answer questions based upon hypothetical facts that are fully set out in the opinion. The report must include copies of all written statements, opinions, or records relied upon by the panel and either a transcription or other record of any oral statements or opinions; must specify any medical or scientific authority relied upon by the panel; and must include the results of any physical or mental examination performed on the plaintiff. Each member shall sign the report and the signature constitutes the member's adoption of all statements and opinions contained in it; however, a member may, instead of signing the report, submit a concurring or dissenting report that complies with the requirements of this subsection. A member may not attest to any portion of the report as to which the member is not qualified to give expert testimony.

(e) The report of the panel with any dissenting or concurring opinion is admissible in evidence to the same extent as though its contents were orally testified to by the person or persons preparing it. The court shall delete any portion that would not be admissible because of lack of foundation for opinion testimony, or otherwise. Either party may submit testimony to support or refute the report. The jury shall be instructed in general terms that the report shall be considered and evaluated in the same manner as any other expert testimony. Any member of the panel may be called by any party and may be cross-examined as to the contents of the report or of that member's dissenting or concurring opinion.

(f) Discovery may not be undertaken in a case until the report of the expert advisory panel is received or 60 days after selection of the panel, whichever occurs first. However, the court may relax this prohibition upon a showing of good cause by any party. If the panel has not completed its report within the 30-day period prescribed in (c) of this section, the court may, upon application, grant the panel an additional 30 days.

(g) Members of a panel are entitled to travel expenses and per diem in accordance with state law pertaining to members of boards and commissions for all time spent in preparing its report. If a panel member is called upon as a witness at trial or upon deposition, the member is entitled to payment of an expert witness fee, which may not exceed $150 per day. All expenses incurred by the panel shall be paid by the court. However, in any case in which the court determines that a party has made a patently frivolous claim or a patently frivolous denial of liability, it shall order that all costs of the expert advisory panel be borne by the party making that claim or denial.

(h) Parties to the case and their counsel may not initiate communication out of court with members of the panel on the subject matter of its inquiry and report or cause or solicit others to do so, except through ordinary discovery proceedings.

(i) This section applies regardless of whether a party in the action or the health care provider whose professional services are the subject of the action is a governmental entity or in the public or private sector.