There's a reason companies are often willing to license really stupid patents rather than fighting them: such patents help keep down competition.
If a malpractice insurance company decides to settle a frivolous claim, it will only encourage more frivolous claims; the side-effects from such action are almost all bad. On the other hand, if a company agrees to license a dubious patent, it's a pretty safe bet that the patent holder will attempt to go after any other companies that might compete with the first one. The first company gets many of the benefits it would receive from owning the patent, but none of the downside publicity it might get from trying to enforce it.