[sweeps]

One of the main problems is the huge windfalls from malpractice lawsuits. It's bad -- really bad -- to have a pair of scissors left in you after surgery. But what is fair compensation for that error? $10 million? I don't think so.

Huge malpractice judgments result in huge malpractice insurance premiums for doctors, nurses and hospitals. They have to pass along those costs to the consumer. I'm no fan of the insurance companies, but they do negotiate better rates for the consumer than the consumer can get on his or her own.