Yeah, tort reform is badly needed. And tough to do. Medicare is pay-as-you-go insurance for seniors, and we pay very little for the monthly premiums - the gubmint subsidizes it. The real problem is the insurance market - if we could shop nationwide for a good plan, one that suits each individual senior and doesn't force him to buy a policy that covers stuff he doesn't want, there would soon be a plethora of plans to choose from. This is because insurance companies want to sell insurance and will seek markets for their policies. They'll do this by formulating policies people actually want. They used to do this - I remember it. It used to work. How it got screwed up is another interesting story.