NJ Doctors Set to Strike

Hospitals across New Jersey braced for a crush of patients in their emergency rooms Monday, the day thousands of doctors planned to begin withholding non-emergency services and attend protests over the price of malpractice insurance.

The unprecedented work slowdown, organized by a grassroots group of doctors and backed by their professional societies and many hospitals, follows smaller job actions in at least four states.

Some of New Jersey's 22,000 doctors vow to stay out at least a week -- or until Gov. James E. McGreevey and Democratic lawmakers agree to legal reforms doctors argue would rein in six-figure malpractice premiums.

"There are some doctors who have said point-blank that they're not going back until this is resolved," Dr. Robert S. Rigolosi, president of the Medical Society of New Jersey, said Friday.

Doctors say premiums rising above $200,000 for some specialists threaten access to patient care by forcing many doctors to retire early, move to states where premiums are lower or give up procedures that draw the most lawsuits, such as delivering babies and risky surgeries.

Doctors scheduled rallies and other events around the state to press their point Monday, followed by a Statehouse rally Tuesday and lobbying efforts Wednesday. Consumer groups planned a Statehouse news conference Monday to argue against doctors' demand for limits on malpractice awards.

Hospitals and doctors stressed emergency and urgent ongoing patient care would continue.

"We have doubled our ER staff" during the job action, said Dr. Joe Reichman, vice president of medical affairs for Virtua West Jersey's four hospitals. "About 95 percent of elective surgeries are canceled."

Other hospitals took similar steps, and many doctors' offices posted notices about the situation.

On Friday, medical society officials delivered some 16,000 patient petitions demanding that politicians help doctors. A New Jersey Hospital Association hotline, 1-877-KEEP-MDS, generated about 2,000 calls from the public to politicians in a week.

The doctors' demand for a $250,000 cap on pain-and-suffering damages has snarled yearlong talks with politicians. McGreevey and key Democrats oppose it; doctors insist caps have held down premiums in California and 23 other states.

Democrats, patient advocates, consumer groups and attorney groups argues such caps are unfair to malpractice victims. No one has proposed limiting "economic damages," which cover medical bills, ongoing therapy and lost wages.

Insurers say caps would reduce premiums slightly now and prevent the steep increases seen in many states for two years. More malpractice awards over $1 million, along with other losses and lower investment returns for insurers, helped cause the crisis.

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Author: NBC10/AP