Report: Don't blame malpractice suits for rise in healthcare costs

The long-used argument that malpractice litigation drives up healthcare costs is being refuted in a new report by Public Citizen. The study by the non-profit concluded that malpractice payouts have fallen by 29 percent over the past decade-- compared to a 58 percent increase in healthcare costs. The total malpractice awards payout last year of $3.1 billion was the lowest on record in terms of inflation-adjusted dollars and the lowest in actual dollars in 15 years. And malpractice-related costs accounted for just 0.11 percent of total healthcare costs. Article