Another factor cited by doctors as a major cause for the increase in the cost of medical care is malpractice. Increasingly large awards for malpractice have caused doctors to increase their rates to cover the higher malpractice insurance premiums. Because of the large malpractice awards, doctors are also prescribing more conservative and more extensive and therefore more costly-treatment for patients as a defense against malpractice claims. Whatever the causes of the wild increases in the cost of medical care, the government needs to take strong action before it is too late for American.