I know some doctors who are convinced that their salaries will increase for every less dollar they spend on medical malpractice insurance.

While this may conceivably happen because the healthcare market is far from a free market, this would be the worst outcome. Patients would be paying the same and have less of a consumer protection.

But the fact that the costs are probably passed on does not really address any of my points. I acknowledge that reforming medical malpractice could shave some costs, I just don't think it would do that much and it could have negative effects on patients as they would have to self-insure against the risk of injury vs. the current system where that risk is shared broadly but with liability actually being on the person who can affect the negligence level (the doctor).