OB-GYNs struggle with rising insurance rates

Obstetrician Dr. E. Joe Morris recently took a second job on weekends when he's not on call at Anne Arundel Medical Center to make ends meet.

And his wife, an oncology nurse, is looking to switch from part-time to full-time work.

His brother and business partner, Dr. Edward J. Morris, estimates his take-home pay has dropped between 40 and 50 percent in the last two years.

The financial crunch on obstetricians is due to a variety of factors, including increased salaries for employees and declining reimbursements from patients' insurance companies.

But the Morris brothers and other obstetrician/gynecologists say the...