"Malpractice is handled here (in Canada) just the same way it is in the USA, Rig. You bring legal action against the doctor and the courts handle it from there... It is irrelevant to this discussion... So who is driving it?"

       Yes it is relevant to this discussion because both Obama, the leaders of Congress, and the Republicans all say that one of the major problems with healthcare is the spiraling cost. A large part of the costs are the reality of defensive medicine--as Sawzaw points out--and the ridiculous awards that are given to claimants in court, much of which ends up in the pockets of attorneys.

      As to who is driving it: The Trial Lawyers Association seems to be the group who continue to keep the Democrats from going anywhere near tort reform. So that's where I'd look first.