Malpractice suits are about 2% of healthcare costs, and that percentage is stable, so you're not going to make a huge difference by focusing efforts there.
The cost to avoid lawsuits adds up with a lot of tests that are not needed. Doctors end up doing whole batteries of tests on everyone to avoid the 1:1000 or higher chance that the person in their office with a headache really had an aneurysm and get the doctor sued for negligence when he sends them home.
Another side effect of all these tests is that many are extremely dangerous. CT scans in particular are ordered way too often and can does people with levels of radiation that lead to problems later in life.
I have anecdotal evidence to back up these claims: my mother is in internal medicine and my father is a surgeon. both have practiced defensive medicine and my father has complained about how common an occurrence it is on a regular basis.
Many tests, drugs and treatments have been applied in the name of defensive medicine.
The followup question is, how much defensive medicine is necessary? If there's a 5% drop in that practice then do the costs from lawsuits go up to compensate? Are we at an equilibrium point, or are doctors doing defensive medicine because the myth of the power of a lawsuit is so strong?
The cost to avoid lawsuits adds up with a lot of tests that are not needed. Doctors end up doing whole batteries of tests on everyone to avoid the 1:1000 or higher chance that the person in their office with a headache really had an aneurysm and get the doctor sued for negligence when he sends them home.
Another side effect of all these tests is that many are extremely dangerous. CT scans in particular are ordered way too often and can does people with levels of radiation that lead to problems later in life.