40 YEARS AGO
“You’re not treating a patient anymore. You’re treating an adversary.” That’s how one physician sums up doctors’ fears of the professional and financial consequences of being sued for malpractice—even if they win their case. Those fears have triggered massive spending on defensive medicine, on malpractice insurance, and on the red tape these involve. The American Medical Association puts the total bill now at nearly $19 billion annually, or six cents for every dollar Americans spend for health care.…