NJ Docs To Walk In Protest

Thousands of patients in New Jersey could be left without medical care next week.

That's because doctors there are planning to stage a massive walkout on Monday because of soaring malpractice rates.

For years there has been a mass exodus of doctors across the bridge from Pennsylvania into New Jersey because of high malpractice insurance rates in the Keystone State. Rates were 20 to 50 percent lower in New Jersey.

Dr. David Rosenberg in Vineland, N.J., is one of the doctors planning on taking Monday off to protest the rising malpractice insurance rates.

"It's a shame, because people like me need our pediatricians," said Laura Powers, whose son is Rosenberg's patient.

It has been estimated that 10,000 New Jersey doctors will take off between one day and a week starting Monday because of the skyrocketing insurance premiums.

The rising rates are driving some doctors out of business -- especially those in high-risk fields like surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.

"I take care of babies. But if the obstetricians can't afford to pay their malpractice insurance, they are either going to stop delivering babies here or they're going elsewhere," Rosenberg said.

Because of rising insurance rates in Pennsylvania, there was a mass exodus of doctors into New Jersey because the cost of malpractice insurance was 20 to 50 percent lower.

The move to New Jersey is backfiring on some of those Pennsylvania doctors, including Dr. Mary K. Stailey-Sims.

"When I joined this practice in July, Dr. David Rosenberg told me their rates had increased by 40 percent. I was shocked. I was really shocked," said Stailey-Sims.

It has been estimated that thousands of doctors will be in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday to tell their legislators they need help now.

"We didn't want to do this. We're here to take care of kids. That's been our life," Rosenberg said.

Doctors said that the last time they marched on Trenton, Gov. James McGreevey ignored them.

Some New Jersey doctors said that they might go back to Pennsylvania because Gov. Ed Rendell says he has some ideas on fixing the problem.

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