Rather than debate over frivolous lawsuits, he says, they should talk about protecting people from law-breaking corporations and negligent doctors.

He is instead advocating the complete insulation of negligent doctors from any possible lawsuit that could be brought.

The system is not working now, they claim, because the state has not been stringent in disciplining negligent doctors.

"None of us want to defend the truly negligent doctor, but there is discrimination that is hurting and killing rural health care," he said.

She nonetheless hailed the provision granting consumers access to the past records of negligent doctors.

They are merely shifted from the negligent doctor to the injured patient and to that patient's health insurance.

It would also cover suits against negligent doctors, companies that pollute or concerns that engage in insurance fraud.

Yet nothing in the Clinton health plan, nor the alternatives, directly addresses the problem of incompetent and negligent doctors.

Some errors are caused by truly negligent doctors and other health providers.

The slide had begun in his mid-thirties, at about the time he put together an impressive string of large verdicts against negligent doctors.