Hundreds of physicians in Florida and Mississippi did not work Monday in protest of the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance premiums. More than 800 doctors in the Palm Beach County area told hospital officials they would be attending a two-day conference to analyze the crisis. Local hospitals were forced to add to their emergency room staffs and reschedule numerous surgeries. In Mississippi, a dozen physicians took leaves of absence at four Gulf Coast hospitals. The city of Gulfport, as well as Harrison and Hancock counties, declared a state of emergency, forcing ambulances to transport patients to hospitals in Louisiana and Alabama.

Two dozen West Virginia surgeons took leaves of absence on January 1 to protest the malpractice crisis. New Jersey physicians are planning a walkout in February.