Malpractice Liability, Defensive Medicine & Health Care Costs
Malpractice liability and its relationship to the practice of “defensive medicine” have been in the forefront of today’s health care reform debate. Many contend that malpractice liability has led to unsustainably high costs for practicing medicine, an overutilization of services and decreased access to care for patients. This Brief examines the relationship between malpractice liability and health care costs.