Illinois May See Next Doctors' Job Action
By Michael Ha
NU Online News Service, Feb. 10, 2:36 p.m. EST?As thousands of New Jersey doctors wind down their work stoppage to protest high malpractice insurance costs, an Illinois physician is organizing a similar job action for his state later this month.
"A voluntary one-day strike has been called for licensed physicians in the State of Illinois," said Dr. Thomas Pliura, a physician in LeRoy, Ill., who is urging Illinois doctors to postpone elective surgeries and reschedule appointments for February 26. Dr. Pliura said he is also organizing a rally at the State Capitol building in Springfield, Ill., that day to bring attention to soaring malpractice insurance premiums and the need for restrictions on lawsuit recoveries.
Dr. Pliura is currently the sole organizer of the event, financing a staff including some 40 telemarketing personnel to persuade other doctors to join the effort.
Although he did not speculate as to how many doctors will participate, he said he has already reached more than 10,000 physician offices, representing some 25,000 doctors in the state.
"This one-day work stoppage was chosen as a last resort to call attention to the growing crisis many Illinois physicians face while trying to obtain affordable malpractice insurance," Dr. Pliura said in a letter currently being sent to Illinois physicians.
"This year, some physicians and healthcare providers have seen increases of more than 250 percent in their insurance premiums. Some physicians now pay more than $150,000 annually for malpractice insurance. Many insurance carriers have discontinued writing new malpractice insurance policies or left the state as a result of this crisis," he said.
Additionally, as insurance premiums soar, doctors are prohibited from raising their fees to Medicare, Medicaid and many commercial health plan patients to cover these costs, Dr. Pliura observed.
"All sides to this issue pose valid arguments. We as physicians argue relief is needed for us to stay in business. Insurance companies claim they need to raise rates as a result of rising jury awards. Plaintiffs' attorneys maintain everyone should have unfettered access to our courts," he stated.
Dr. Pliura said he is encouraging physician offices to send a representative in a white coat to the State Capitol and meet individually with their respective state senators and representatives.
"If physicians can't travel to Springfield on February 26, we encourage them to voluntarily take the day off in support of the strike. But physicians are advised to treat emergency illnesses and injuries," he said.
But unlike the Medical Society of New Jersey, which endorsed its physicians' job action last week, the Illinois State Medical Society has not embraced Dr. Pliura's effort so far.
"The Illinois State Medical Society is very upset with me," Dr. Pliura told National Underwriter. "I used the word 'strike' to describe what I am organizing and that's apparently a no-no in the medical society. But we are facing a crisis. We shouldn't be caught up in semantics–we shouldn't shy away from invoking some emotions," he said.
The Illinois State Medical Society, however, offered a different take on Dr. Pliura's initiative.
It would be much more effective to focus on the issue at the national level, said Dr. John Schneider, president of Illinois State Medical Society.
"The medical society is working with the American Medical Association on the issue. There is a lot of interest at the national level and we have the support of President Bush and legislators. Dr. Pliura's plan would just end up dividing our efforts," Dr. Schneider told National Underwriter.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, doctors who have been participating in the work stoppage have gradually been returning to their offices. "Most physicians are back in their offices, but a few will continue even after today," said John Shaffer, spokesperson for the Medical Society of New Jersey.
State legislators in New Jersey are also continuing their effort to hammer out a compromise bill to address the medical malpractice issue.
Today, some doctors–including Dr. Robert S. Rigolosi, president of the Medical Society of New Jersey and one of the main organizers of last week's job action–were planning to appear at a joint hearing of Senate Commerce and Senate Health committees at Trenton, N.J.
Separately, doctors in Tennessee and other southeastern states are facing another, more immediate insurance crisis. According to Tennessee's insurance regulators, three insurers that provided malpractice coverage for physicians, lawyers and healthcare in the area–Doctors Insurance Reciprocal, American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal and Reciprocal Alliance–are lacking the resources to pay claims made on their policies.
"Just the claims they know are out there add up to more than $200 million. There is nothing near that amount to cover existing claims," said Paula Wade, director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
They are domiciled in Tennessee and reinsured by Reciprocal of America in Richmond, Va., relying on the organization to cover the bulk of their risks, Ms. Wade said. But Reciprocal of America was put into receivership by the State of Virginia on Jan. 29.
"Each of them has policyholders in at least four states," Ms. Wade said. In terms of premium volume, Doctors Insurance Reciprocal, for example, has $19.6 million in Virginia, $7.8 million in Alabama, $6.3 million in Mississippi, and $2.4 million in Louisiana, she added.
"Doctors insured by these entities have to deal with the fact that these insurers most likely are not able to cover any future malpractice claims. The Tennessee medical association has asked its members to seek other insurance companies," she said.
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