Fight over free lunches for Connecticut physicians

Connecticut lawmakers are considering a proposal that would outlaw most gifts to healthcare providers from drug or medical-device makers and require the disclosure of any drug or device company payments to physicians exceeding $1,000. Several states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, have already clamped down on the financial relationships, banning most gifts outright or requiring drug companies to disclose payments to doctors. Now Connecticut's proposal has touched off a fierce fight.