His insurer, Medical Mutual, allowed him to forego paying tail coverage for obstetrics because of his many years with the company. However, he would have to pay a significant amount if he were to go back into obstetrics, he said.
As it is, Dr. Zisow has already seen a major increase in his premiums for gynecology alone in 2005, and he said he isn't optimistic that the legislation will result in too much change in premiums.
"It's business as usual," he said.
This is a wake-up call to physicians to get politically active, said Mark Seigel, M.D., an ob.gyn. in Gaithersburg and the former president of MedChi. Passing meaningful changes to the system takes time, he said, and ultimately it may mean voting officials out of office who fail to take on medical liability reform. "Doctors have to do more than just go to the office and see patients," Dr. Seigel said.