One company that sells medical malpractice insurance — Medical Protective, owned by General Electric — angling for a rate increase in Texas, recently claimed to regulators that it didn’t expect to save much money from the state’s recently enacted liability caps. Trial lawyer allies of course immediately ran to the press claiming this proves something or other (though what it most obviously proves is that some companies have an incentive to poor-mouth their future expectations, especially when angling for rate increases). Other medical insurers have cut rates in Texas or announced plans to re-enter the state. MedPundit Sydney Smith tries to sort things out (Nov. 26). More: see Point of Law, Mar. 2, 2005.

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