by Kevin Ganster

President Obama was warmly received by members of the AMA yesterday in a speech focused squarely on health care reform. The president blamed some of the spiraling costs of health care on a reimbursement system that he said pays for the number of tests and services provided, regardless of what is needed.

He also cited a "defensive" medicine culture created in part by the risk of medical malpractice lawsuits. To loud applause, he said ending unnecessary procedures could require restrictions on malpractice liability to protect doctors, although he did not call for caps on awards.

Read the transcript of the President's remarks.