When most people think of nuclear fuel, uranium and plutonium come to mind. Should a different fuel _ something called thorium _ be used in our nuclear reactors instead?

A reader wondering about the safety of thorium fission submitted one of the questions in this edition of "Ask AP," a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers' questions about the news.

If you have your own news-related question that you'd like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with "Ask AP" in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.

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Until recently, there was a lot reported about malpractice suits and skyrocketing insurance premiums for doctors being among the leading causes of the rapidly rising cost of medical care. Is this issue addressed in the bill that is being prepared in Congress now?

Bob Meyer

Kimbolton, Ohio

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The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says health care costs go up when doctors practice defensive medicine by ordering unneeded tests to protect themselves from being sued. But the insurance premiums that doctors pay for malpractice coverage are not themselves a major contributor to costs.

The budget office says slapping limits on jury awards in malpractice cases would lead to less defensive medicine, reducing the federal deficit by $54 billion over 10 years. That's not a huge amount in the $2.5-trillion-a-year U.S. health care system, but it is real money.

The Democratic health care bills in Congress don't deal with medical malpractice. President Barack Obama says he's opposed to limits on jury awards, but open to looking for alternatives in which patients injured by a doctor or hospital error can get compensation without having to go to court.

Doctors want the health care legislation to address malpractice, but trial lawyers _ generous campaign contributors to Democrats _ are trying to stave off any major changes.

The outlook for such reforms in the future is uncertain.

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

AP Health Care Writer

Washington

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I have been reading a lot about thorium fission as a possible replacement for uranium and plutonium in the next generation of nuclear reactors. I have read that thorium is more plentiful, avoids altogether the issue of weapons-grade material proliferation, and has less waste that decays more quickly than that from uranium and plutonium.