Pennsylvania governor says he may delay malpractice-fund payments

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has announced he is probably going to allow doctors to put off payments to the state's medical-malpractice insurance fund as lawmakers work on legislation to extend a state subsidy that lowers those bills. The subsidy, which helps doctors pay for supplemental medical-malpractice insurance through a state-run fund, will end after Dec. 31, 2007 because no legislation has been passed to continue it.