The public tends to associate malpractice lawsuits with the high cost of health care. Nearly six in ten adults (58%) said that the number of malpractice lawsuits is a “very” important factor in causing rising health care costs, and almost two in ten (19%) said it was the most important factor when forced to choose among several factors.

Majorities also said that other factors are very important to rising health care costs, but only “high profits made by drug companies” was named as the most important factor by a larger share of the public than malpractice lawsuits.