TORT REFORM, BUT WHAT - A DOCTOR AND A LAWYER FACE OFF ON MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Nearly every healthcare reform plan introduced in Congress this year addresses medical malpractice. Although the tort reform goals in the plans may be similar, the methods of achieving them differ substantially. To highlight the areas that need to be resolved, we set up a dialogue between a physician and a plaintiff's attorney. The differing perspectives of Edward R. Annis, MD, former president of the American Medical Association, and Barry J. Nace, JD, past president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, exemplify the challenges legislators face.