About 100 Mahoning County physicians, and a few from Trumbull County, responded to a MCMS survey

About 100 Mahoning County physicians, and a few from Trumbull County, responded to a MCMS survey asking them about how the soaring cost of medical malpractice insurance and low reimbursements for services are affecting their practices. Some of the survey (sent to about 500 doctors) responses:
How has your practice changed in the past five years?
I need to increase volume and spend more time in the office because reimbursements are less than our charges.
It's mostly about managing risk, not taking care of sick people the best way I know how.
Push back expansion because of uncertainty. It is extremely difficult to attract new doctors to our practice.
I do less surgery. I gave up spine surgery. It pays too little, and it's not worth the time or risk.
How do you feel your practice will need to change over the next five years?
I enjoy the practice of medicine. However, I may not be in private practice in five years or even one year if the financial environment continues to worsen.
I may be forced to stop seeing Medicaid patients.
Increase service fees to keep up with increasing medical malpractice insurance costs.
The decision has been made to retire earlier (than anticipated), thus depriving patients of doctors who are well-seasoned and have more time to give patients.
We have to cut back introducing new technologies unless they can pay for themselves.
Consider dropping obstetrics. I love OB, but its very expensive to insure.
What plans have you made to stay afloat in the current medical practice climate?
Leaner and meaner. Decrease the office staff, and don't do anything free except taking care of the indigent.
Increase fees 3 percent to 5 percent immediately.
I would like to transfer all my assets to my family and practice without insurance, but I'm afraid. I've been in practice 22 years and have never gone to court or paid a claim.
Willing to perform minor procedures normally done by a family practitioner. Paying off loans, avoiding future debt. May need to be more selective in the cases I accept.
I am dissolving my practice in January 2004.
Do you have any suggestions to combat the current problems we as physicians are facing?
The Medical Society as a group should unite and confront the involvement of insurance into the doctor/patient relationship.
Slow down. Make the public aware how valuable we are when they can't get the care they need.
I wish I had one.