Does tort reform reduce malpractice costs and number of claims?

You be the judge, but Florida and Pennsylvania are seeing a positive trend, according to Medical Liability Monitor (11/2007). Florida, which enacted legislative reforms in 2003, has seen "a net decline in medical malpractice rates for the primary market, which includes physicians and surgeons," and seven new entities writing medical malpractice coverage. Even better news can be found in Pennsylvania: Since 2002, when legislative reforms were enacted, two of the state's largest private medical malpractice insurers filed rate decreases (an 11% decrease by PMSLIC and a 6% decrease by MedPro), and 57 new insurers began writing policies. In addition, the number of claims paid by the state fund providing coverage for eligible health-care providers declined by 50% since 2003.