On malpractice reform, fine print is still hazy

When President Obama broached medical malpractice laws in his speech to a joint session of Congress, it was one of the few times that Republican lawmakers stood to applaud. But the ideas the president embraced stopped considerably short of the federal limits on awards in malpractice lawsuits that the GOP and the nation's physicians have sought for years. While Obama said he wants the Department of Health and Human Services to encourage states to experiment with ways to reduce malpractice litigation, he was sketchy about the details of the "demonstration projects" he has in mind.