As rates rise, doctors consider going 'bare' July 5, 2002    Orlando Stacey Snow  Business Journal Staff Writer TALLAHASSEE -- With medical malpractice insurers pulling out of Florida and premiums escalating, physicians continue to explore alternatives to relocating or retiring early. The most recent development could make life more difficult for Florida physicians. First Professionals Insurance Co., the largest malpractice insurer in the state, announced recently that it will not write new business in Florida through the end of the year. FPIC, which covers more than 6,000, will insure physicians added to a group it already covers, but no new physicians can get policies.  Four insurers that write medical malpractice have pulled out of Florida in the past 18 months, the Florida Department of Insurance reports.  Physicians in high-risk, highly litigated practices such as neurosurgery, obstetrics/gynecology and orthopedics, face the most difficulty with access to insurance and affordable policies. One option is to "go bare," also known as self-insuring, which means a physician drops traditional medical malpractice insurance.  "If they truly feel that going bare or self-insuring is an option, I think many of them will choose that, given the opportunity, if they continue to be dropped by their insurance companies or if the premiums they're quoted are untenable," says Caryn Caldwell, executive director of the Pinellas County Medical Society.    At a recent meeting of the Florida Orthopedic Society, a certified financial planner explained how physicians can protect their assets if they do choose to self-insure. Marc Singer, a founding partner of Singer Xenos Investment Management in Coral Gables, predicts many physicians in Central and North Florida will follow the example of a large number of South Florida physicians and self-insure as early as this fall.  And Singer is not alone. Others agree that going bare will be increasingly common this year, especially since so many physicians can't find a company to insure them anyway. "There really isn't anybody left," says Dr. Michael Wasylik, an orthopedic surgeon who is president-elect of the medical staff at St. Joseph's Hospital. "There's either no insurance or it's really expensive."  It's not that physicians don't want to help patients who experience malpractice, says Dennis Agliano, chairman of a Florida Medical Association task force studying tort reform.  "We want patients protected when there are mishaps," he says.  But doctors facing problems with access and affordability of insurance either will retire early, curtail services or leave the state, he predicts.  Singer Xenos does not provide any legal advice.    Please consult with your own attorney. Go to Singer Xenos Home Page Singer Xenos does not provide legal advice. Please consult with your own legal counsel.