Wisconsin Medical Journal
107 #2
107 #2
Latest News
Explore your Hidden Potential
Wisconsin Medical Society FoundationFundraising Dinner, Silent Auction and Raffle
April 10, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison
There’s still time to register to attend the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation’s 2008 fundraising event featuring the unique opportunity to meet one of the world’s few identified prodigious savants, Kim Peek. Peek was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man. He has read over 7,600 books and has 98 percent recall of each one—not to mention a storehouse of facts on subjects ranging from music to history to sports. He’s also developmentally disabled.
Kim Peek with Barry Morrow, screenwriter for Rain Man, holding one of the Oscar's awarded for the film.
Photo by Richard Green, Salinas, CA. |
“We are very fortunate to have Fran and Kim Peek and Doctor Darold Treffert join us this year. Each of these accomplished speakers brings his own unique message to the stage as they also encourage us to look beyond individual differences and search for ‘islands of genius,’” noted Foundation President, Doctor Ayaz Samadani.
The evening will begin with a large silent auction, hors d’ouevres and a cash bar at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 and the program at 8. Kim will encourage audience members to “stump” him in one of his areas of knowledge.
The success of this event is critical to providing funding for our scholarship and grants programs. Tickets are $100 each and may be purchased by contacting Renee at 608.442.3720 or e-mail reneer@wismed.org.
Raffle Prizes are Diamonds and Travel
Even if you can’t join us at the Fundraising Dinner, don’t miss your chance to win 2.48 carat diamond earrings or $1,500 toward the vacation of your choice! Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100 and may be purchased from Foundation staff or any Society Membership Representative. A limit of 1,000 tickets will be sold and you do not need to be present to win.To view the beautiful diamond earrings or for more details click here.
Webcast features strategies to help patients quit smoking
Madison (January 4)—Wisconsin’s cigarette tax increased to $1.77 per pack on January 1. That $1 per pack increase is the first in Wisconsin in six years, and it may provide the financial incentive many smokers need to quit.Because physicians and other health care professionals have a unique opportunity to intervene with patients who use tobacco, Society member Michael Fiore, MD, presented this web-based training program for health care professionals. Doctor Fiore is a practicing internist, founder and 15-year director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI).
The webcast, which features information about new medications, leading-edge methods and new patient resources, was designed to help health care professionals help their patients quit smoking. It was sponsored by the Wisconsin Medical Society, Smokefree Wisconsin and UW-CTRI.
Related links:
http://www.ctri.wisc.edu/
http://www.smokefreewi.org/
Congress postpones Medicare payment puts for 6 months
Madison (December 21)—This week Congress passed a Medicare bill that postpones the 10.1 percent physician payment cut and instead provides a 0.5 percent increase for six months. The President is expected to sign it immediately.The bill also:
- Extends the current State Children’s Health Insurance Program through March 2009.
- Continues the 1.5 percent bonus payment for physicians who participate in the voluntary quality-reporting system.
- Extends the 5 percent bonus for physicians practicing in federally-designated health professional shortage areas.
- Does NOT cut reimbursement for outpatient imaging services.
- Does NOT include a ban on physician-owned specialty hospitals.
Despite this temporary reprieve, the long-term problems of the SGR formula remain; after June 30, 2007 the proposed extensions will expire, meaning the potential for double-digit cuts starting in July. The Wisconsin Medical Society and the AMA will continue to work for a long-term solution to this ongoing issue.
IPFCF Board votes to not increase fees for Fiscal Year 2008
Madison (December 13)—The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Board (IPFCF) of Governors voted Wednesday, Dec 19 to not raise Fund fees for the state’s 2008 fiscal year (July 2008-June 2009). The Fund's Actuarial and Underwriting Committee had recommended a 25 percent fee increase, but Society-led efforts at the Board prevented approval of this recommendation.Increasing Fund fees to essentially backfill the Governor’s $200 million raid was questionable, especially considering that the legality of raiding the Fund is now in the courts; a fee increase could also be used to finance future raids. With those factors discussed in open session at Wednesday’s board meeting, a motion was made that there be no Fund fee increase at this time. That motion prevailed on a 7-5 vote, with all three physician Board members (Robert Jaeger, MD, Society CEO Susan Turney, MD, and Reid Olson, MD, public member) voting for no increase.
Proposed Fund Raid: $300M?
Madison (September 28)--Thursday afternoon there were some troubling rumors coming out of state budget negotiations. According to Capitol news services, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) is saying that during today's negotiations Senate Democrats offered to take $300 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (Fund) in exchange for reductions in other taxes Senate Democrats have proposed. WisPolitics later reported that Speaker Huebsch had offered a combination of the $1.25 increase in the cigarette tax and an "unspecified amount" from the Fund, which was also rejected.It's unclear how serious these offers were - many offers and counter-offers are given with the full knowledge that the other side will reject them. However, the Fund should not be a political football.
Call your legislators and let them know that the Fund shouldn't be a part of political game-playing, and should be taken off the table in future budget negotiations. To find out who your legislators are, click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Mark Grapentine.
State Budget: Healthy Wisconsin off the Table?
Madison (September 21)--Senate Democrats offered to remove their $15.2 billion universal health care proposal, "Healthy Wisconsin," from the state budget if Assembly Republicans would agree to a health care spending package that includes the $175 million IPFCF raid, a hospital tax and increases to the cigarette and nursing home bed taxes. Republicans expressed their belief that Healthy Wisconsin never belonged in the state budget in the first place and that the list of tax increases and the raid were too steep a price. Governor Doyle also announced that he has invited Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) and Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson (D-Beloit) to the Executive Mansion in an attempt to reach a budget deal. See statements from Speaker Huebsch and Senator Robert Jauch (D-Poplar) on today's developments.Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, MD (D-Milwaukee) released a statement decrying that the raid proposal remains in the budget.
Contact Mark Grapentine or Jeremy Levin with any questions.
CMS issues FAQ on new tamper-resistant Rx pads law
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a frequently asked questions guide for physicians and others as they prepare for the October 1 implementation of the new tamper-resistant prescription pads requirements (Society Members: See the Sept. 14 Insider for more information). While not particularly exhaustive, the FAQ does give some compliance guidance, as well as better explanation of what will make the special paper tamper-resistant. The FAQ references guidance CMS issued in August, which left many questions unanswered.House of Delegates solicits nominees
The House of Delegates Nominating Committee is requesting nominations for the following Society offices:- President-Elect for 2008-2009
- Vice Speaker for 2009 and 2010 – Charles Rainey, MD, JD of River Hills (incumbent)
- AMA Delegates for calendar years 2009 and 2010 – Clarence P. Chou, MD of Milwaukee (incumbent); Kevin T. Flaherty, MD of Wausau (incumbent); Robert J. Jaeger, MD of Mosinee (incumbent)
- AMA Alternate Delegate for calendar years 2009 and 2010 – Mahendr S. Kochar, MD of Brookfield (incumbent)
Members of the 2007-2008 House of Delegates Nominating Committee are as follows:
District 1— Amtul Ahmad, MD, of Kenosha; Barbara Hummel, MD, of West Allis; Lowell Keppel, MD, of Brookfield; Mahendr Kochar, MD, of Brookfield; Thomas Luetzow, MD, of Lake Mills; Edith McFadden, MD, of Milwaukee; Charles Rainey, MD, of River Hills; John Riesch, MD, of Menomonee Falls; Sridhar Vasudevan, MD, of Belgium
District 2— Susan Kinast-Porter, MD, of Albany; Michael Miller, MD, of Madison; Sandra Osborn, MD, of Verona; Molli Rolli, MD, of Madison; Tosha Wetterneck, MD, of Madison
District 3— Erik Gundersen, MD, of Onalaska
District 4— Andrew Braun, MD, of Stevens Point; Mary Jo Freeman, MD, of Wausau
District 5— Kevin Jessen, MD, of Fond du Lac; Valerie Zapolsky, MD, of Oshkosh
District 6— John Hartman, MD, of Green Bay; Jennifer Philbin, MD, of Oconto
District 7— Andrea Hillerud, MD, of Eau Claire
District 8— David Saarinen, MD of Ashland
Specialty Sections— Maja Jurisic, MD, of Brookfield
Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to: Susan L. Turney, MD, Executive Vice President/CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701. Communications can also be sent via e-mail to noreenk@wismed.org. All candidates must submit a curriculum vitae with a cover letter by Friday, September 28, so that an agenda can be mailed to committee members. For more information, e-mail Noreen Krueger.
What Do Women Doctors Want?
Key question for rural communities as more women enter medicine
It’s already a challenge for rural areas to attract physicians, but demographic changes in the physician workforce may make it even more difficult in the years to come. Women comprise a majority of medical school classes, while male physicians are the ones who tend to practice in rural areas now. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health surveyed 10 women physicians who practice in Wisconsin rural areas with populations of fewer than 16,000 residents to find out which factors most influenced their decision to enter a rural practice. The results are published in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Volume 106, No. 5).“The most common reason stated motivating the physicians to enter rural practice was a rural background (70%),” the study reports. Having a personal connection to the area or family nearby was also a key reason given (60%). Half the women doctors surveyed predicted the number of women physicians in rural communities would decrease because of long hours, low compensation and a declining number of students pursuing family practice. The other half said more women would pursue rural practices because of the opportunity to practice obstetrics, the ability of spouses to work at home and a good environment to raise children.
“Predictors of rural practice include rural background, positive experiences during medical school and/or residency in rural communities, and practice settings that are supportive of unique arrangements to provide the desired balance between personal and professional activities,” the authors conclude.
Wisconsin Medical Society Launches Innovative Health Insurance Pilot for Fox Valley Physicians
Physician groups in Wisconsin are banding together in a cooperative to provide more cost-effective health insurance options for doctors, their families and office staff.On August 15, the Wisconsin Medical Society launched the Physicians Health Cooperative (PHC), a new health insurance plan that offers long-term solutions to high health care costs. The new plan is being introduced initially in the Fox Valley for Society members, and is presented by Fitzgerald, Clayton, James & Kasten, Inc. as representatives for Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. (WMSI).
“We hope the Fox Valley pilot project eventually will turn into a statewide advantage for all physicians in Wisconsin,” said Ellie Rohrdanz, WMSI President. The plan is endorsed by the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives and the geographic region covered by the Cooperative has been approved by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. This allows many Society member clinics to join under one large group for health insurance purposes. A separate Board of Directors will own and control the PHC.
WPS Health Insurance, a long-term partner of the Society, is the company providing the health insurance plans and is offering special benefits under the program for the physicians in the Physician Health Cooperative participating groups. WPS is offering a 15-month initial rate guarantee for founding members, enrolling by January 1, 2008.
To participate in the new plan, all physicians in the group must be members of the Society. Each clinic can choose up to four health insurance plans to offer to their staff and employees, so people with different needs can be accommodated under the program.
Under Wisconsin law, the Cooperative requires a three-year commitment by member groups, and each member of the PHC pays a membership fee of one month’s premium to be held in trust and applied to the 36th month’s health insurance premium. The commitment provides time for the program to get off the ground and determine the health insurance plans most appropriate for the members.
Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. is a full service insurance agency that provides insurance products and insurance advice to the Wisconsin medical community. Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Medical Society.
Wisconsin Medical Society launches DRconnection: a new on-line tool to help patients, physicians
release date: Monday, July 16, 2007Patients throughout Wisconsin searching for a physician, or for information about a physician, have a new resource today. DRconnection, developed by the Wisconsin Medical Society, allows patients to search a database of all practicing physicians in Wisconsin by name, specialty, city, clinic or ZIP code.
But that search function is really just the beginning of the Society’s efforts to improve health care quality in Wisconsin. “We are extremely pleased with the launch of DRconnection,” said Society President Clarence Chou, MD. “It marks the completion of a key first step in the Wisconsin Medical Society’s critically important initiative to promote practice-level quality improvement that will ultimately lead to real change in our health care system.”
Because DRconnection is a data repository that brings together complete physician demographic information such as specialty, education, license number, practice information, hospital affiliations and more, its uses promise to extend far beyond a directory.
“By utilizing the data in DRconnection for quality improvement efforts like those of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, the Wisconsin Health Information Organization and the Wisconsin Hospital Association, individual physicians will be able to get feedback on how their performance measures up against their peers,” said Society CEO Susan L. Turney, MD. “And that, along with tools being developed by the Society, will help them in their efforts to improve patient care."
Dr. Turney added that in addition to its quality improvement role, DRconnection information will also be used for health care workforce planning and has the potential to lead to significant administrative cost savings. Every physician in Wisconsin has the ability to update and verify personal data at any time, and a certified verification organization will authenticate the information on a regular basis.
“DRconnection will give physicians the ability to maintain and transfer their own information to hospitals, clinics, state government, health plan and other relevant entities on an ongoing basis,” Turney said. “With one centralized, easy-to-use, convenient resource, the need to update and maintain information in multiple databases across different health systems, hospitals and regulatory offices is eliminated.”
The Society is hoping to work with state government to provide all physician-related information currently available to the public. This would include any discipline action the Medical Examining Board has taken to limit physicians’ license to practice medicine.
DRconnection can be accessed by clicking on the DRconnection logo at www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org. With more than 11,000 members dedicated to the best interests of their patients, the Wisconsin Medical Society is the largest association of medical doctors in the state and a trusted source for health policy leadership since 1841. Your Doctor. Your Health.
Click here to go directly to the DRconnection site.
Wisconsin mosquitoes much more than annoying
Study authors urge mosquito bite prevention efforts
to avoid serious health threats
release date: Monday, July 16, 2007
A study summarizing the occurrence of common mosquito borne illnesses in Wisconsin finds 82 percent of statewide West Nile virus cases from 2002 through 2006 occurred during August and September. The study, published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Volume 106, No. 4), identified 114 confirmed cases, which included seven fatalities.
“Protection and prevention measures are important statewide, especially during July through September when the risk is greatest,” advise the authors, who are from the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and La Crosse County Health Department.
Residents of 42 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties were stricken with illnesses caused by West Nile virus infections during the study period, with a majority (54%) of the cases occurring in the state’s 10 most populous counties. However, the reported incidence rates of illness occurrence were similar statewide, regardless of the population densities of the counties.
“Fever, headache and fatigue were the most prominent symptoms,” the authors write. Nearly three out of four patients reported receiving mosquito bites within two weeks prior to the illness. “Alarmingly, reported mosquito repellent use by West Nile virus patients during that same period was low; 49 percent of case patients reported never using repellants,” the study finds.
In addition to West Nile virus, Wisconsin residents are also at risk of illnesses caused by La Crosse virus. “Human La Crosse virus cases exhibit a geographic pattern of clustering with greatest risk in Western Wisconsin, particularly the southwestern corner of the state, which is an area traditionally rich in hardwood forests,” write the authors. The most common symptoms of La Crosse virus were fever, headache, fatigue and vomiting.
“Because both viruses remain endemic in wildlife and mosquito populations within the state, humans are at risk of infections during mosquito seasons,” write the authors. What’s more, they warn that Wisconsin residents may well be subject to other mosquito borne diseases in the future, which have not yet shown up in the state.
The Wisconsin Medical Journal is the official publication of the Wisconsin Medical Society—the largest association of medical doctors in the state with 11,500 members dedicated to the best interests of their patients. With that in mind, wisconsinmedicalsociety.org offers patients a unique source for reliable, physician-reviewed medical information. The Wisconsin Medical Society, a trusted source for health policy leadership since 1841. Your Doctor. Your Health.
Click here to read the entire article.
State budget: Conference Committee members named; IPFCF raid in play
release date: Thursday, July 12, 2007State Legislative leadership named the eight members who will serve on a special conference committee tasked with rectifying different versions of the 2007-2009 biennial state budget. Committee membership will be Senators Judy Robson (D-Beloit), Russ Decker (D-Weston), Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Assembly Representatives Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem), Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon), Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson) and Jim Kreuser (D-Kenosha). This follows Tuesday night’s action, when the Republican-controlled State Assembly passed its version of the budget, dramatically altering the version passed June 26 in the Democratic-run State Senate.
The Assembly version of the budget removes the $175 million transfer from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund as well as the gross receipts tax on hospitals. That version also removed the proposed $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax - an increase the Society strongly supports. Another major difference in the Assembly budget is removal of the Senate Democratic "Healthy Wisconsin" health care reform proposal.
The committee will meet until it agrees on a final version of the budget, which would then go to each house for approval. Elements from both budget versions will likely constitute the final product. This means that even with the Assembly's action, the Fund could still be at risk.
Act now to protect the Fund!
Even if your senator and representative are not on the conference committee, all of the legislature’s caucuses will be meeting to prioritize items in the budget, and all 132 legislators need to hear from physicians and patients:- The Fund is for injured patients and their families, helping pay for costs due to a medical injury. The Fund’s actuaries predict that suddenly taking $175 million would jeopardize the Fund’s stability.
- The Fund is a major pillar supporting Wisconsin's relatively stable medical liability climate.
- There are no general tax dollars in the Fund. It is fully funded through annual fees physicians, hospitals and certain nurses are required to pay for this “umbrella” insurance.
- Taking money from this Fund outside of its purpose may be illegal.
- Keeping the Fund whole is a health care priority, and they should tell their leadership to prevent a raid.
State budget goes to conference committee
release date: Thursday, July 12, 2007The Republican-controlled State Assembly passed its version of the 2007-2009 biennial state budget late Tuesday night, making dramatic changes to the version passed in June 26 in the Democratic-run State Senate. The vote was primarily party-line, with 51 Republicans voting for the budget and 44 Democrats and one Republican voting against (Four Democratic members were absent). This was similar to the State Senate action, which was 18-15 along party lines.
The Assembly version of the budget removes the $175 million transfer from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund as well as the gross receipts tax on hospitals. Fulfilling its pledge to pass a budget free of tax increases, the budget also removed the proposed $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax—something the Society strongly supports.
This now sets up a situation where a conference committee will need to be formed to rectify the differences between the two versions of the budget. This conference committee will include leaders from the majority and minority leadership in each house. Over the next few months this committee will negotiate a final budget that will likely include elements from both budget versions. This means that even with the Assembly's action, the Fund could still be in play and at risk. All 132 legislators need to hear from physicians and patients:
- The Fund is for injured patients and their families, helping pay for costs due to a medical injury. The Fund's actuaries predict that a sudden $175 million taking would jeopardize the Fund's stability.
- There are no general tax dollars in the Fund. It is fully funded through annual fees physicians, hospitals and certain nurses are required to pay for this "umbrella" insurance.
- Taking money from this Fund outside of its purpose could very well be illegal.
Even if your senator and representative may not be on the conference committee, all of the legislature's caucuses will be meeting to prioritize items in the budget. Your legislators need to hear that keeping the IPFCF whole is a health care priority, and they should tell their leadership to prevent a raid. You can find who represents you here. For more information, contact Mark Grapentine (markg@wismed.org), Jeremy Levin (jeremyl@wismed.org) or your Membership Field Director.
State Senate passes budget; IPFCF raid remains
release date: Thursday, June 28, 2007Late Tuesday afternoon the State Senate voted 18-15 along party lines to approve Senate Bill 40, the 2007-2009 Biennial Budget. Minority Republicans offered many amendments to the bill, including one that would have removed the $175 million taking from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund. Senators Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse), Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh) and Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) all spoke in strong support of the amendment, citing the fiscal irresponsibility and potential illegality of the raid. Senate Democrats voted 18-15 to table the amendment, however, ending the possibility that the raid would be removed by the Senate.
Senate Democrats also inserted their universal health care plan into the budget after introducing the proposal on Monday, June 25. The Society is still examining the many provisions of the proposal, dubbed Healthy Wisconsin.
The budget now moves to the Republican-controlled State Assembly, which may vote on the bill as soon as next week. It is expected that the budget bill emerging from that house will look dramatically different than the version that passed Tuesday. For more information about the state budget, contact Mark Grapentine, Jeremy Levin or your Society Membership Field Director.
Capitol policymakers debate smoking proposals
release date: Friday, June 15, 2007Two major tobacco-related issues are currently hot topics in the Capitol. A $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax would help combat youth smoking rates, while also raising more than $506 million for the state's Medicaid program. The second proposal is Senate Bill 150, the "Breathe Free Wisconsin Act," which would enact a statewide ban on smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and taverns. The Society is strongly supporting both initiatives, and urges its members to contact their legislators with individual support.
Joint Finance failure to remove IPFCF ‘raid’ extremely disappointing
Clarence Chou, MDPresident - Wisconsin Medical Society
release date: Friday, June 8, 2007
“It’s extremely disappointing and disheartening that the Joint Finance Committee did not remove from the Governor’s budget the proposed transfer of $175 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (IPFCF), especially when the Committee found a way to do so in 2003 and 2005. The Legislature’s nonpartisan Fiscal Bureau and Audit Bureau have both cast serious doubt on the fiscal wisdom and the potential illegality of transferring money from the Fund for purposes other than paying claims of injured patients and their families. Ignoring those concerns only makes today’s inaction more frustrating.
“Thankfully, the budget isn’t yet final. Our 11,500 members know how the 32-year-old Fund helps make Wisconsin one of the few stable medical liability environments in the nation—to the benefit of patients and physicians. We will redouble our efforts to have this harmful and unwise transfer of funds removed before the budget reaches the Governor’s desk.”
For information contact:
Mark Grapentine, JD
608.575.2514
© Wisconsin Medical Society - All rights reserved - 2008
Contact us here.