The US Medical Liability System—A System in Crisis

JSLS (2004)8:1-2 1 The United States health care system has been a role model for the rest of the world, but an unparalleled rise in health care costs has threatened the availability of affordable health care to a large segment of US society. Many reasons exist as to why this crisis has come to pass: an aging population, an outdated Medicare program, Medicare cuts, lack of affordable health insurance, and a sluggish domestic economy have all had an effect on health care costs. But one of the most important factors in the spiraling cost of health care has been excessive medical litigation.