In Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell suffers from the delusion that he can "fix" health care with more government meddling.  However, on one important element of health reform, he has it half right: taming out of control medical malpractice premiums reduces doctors' premiums, which lowers health costs and increases the quantity and quality of health services (as described in a 2006 book I edited).

Since 2003, Gov. Rendell has had an ambitious tort reform agenda: good thing too, because Pennsylvania ranks 36 out of 50 in the U.S. Index of Health Ownership's Medical Tort category.  The results are starting to come in.

At a press conference, the governor reported that the Keystone state's medical-malpractice crisis is "over." The two largest insurers have held rates steady for the last two years, and have now filed for rate decreases of 6% and 11%.

The doctors say there's still more to be done - and we agree.  While Gov. Rendell's changes to court procedure are welcome, non-economic damages can still run wild, and his plan relies too much on taxpayers to subsidise med-mal premiums while expecting the state - instead of competition - to improve patient safety.

By no means perfect, Pennsylvannia's med-mal reforms are moving (in a squiggly line) in the right direction.