NYC Program in Spotlight for Reducing Malpractice Costs

A New York City-based program that aims to curb legal expenses for medical malpractice cases is receiving attention from the Obama administration as a possible strategy for reducing health care costs. The program, called judge-directed negotiation, aims to avoid lengthy court battles by involving judges in malpractice cases earlier. James Battles -- who oversees the grant for the program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality -- says the program could save more than $1 billion annually if adopted nationally.

• "To Curb Malpractice Costs, Judges Jump in Early" (Glaberson, New York Times, 6/12).