CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Pregnant Poor Are Not More Litigious

Pregnant patients served by the Medi-Cal program for the poor are no more likely to sue for malpractice than other women, an independent foundation reported. The Sierra Foundation, which finances local health projects in Northern California, said researchers compared suits against physicians by pregnant Medi-Cal patients to those filed by expectant mothers in the entire state. “Because physicians consistently cite fear of lawsuits from Medi-Cal patients as a top reason for refusing to serve more of this population, we wanted to see whether there was any validity to this perception,” said Dr. Barbara Aved, a consultant to the foundation.