Medigram - November 1, 2007 | Wisconsin Medical Society

TOP STORIES

Media coverage positive in wake of lawsuit

Media interest has been widespread and positive since the Wisconsin Medical Society filed suit against the State of Wisconsin October 29 for the $200 million raid on the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (IPFCF). The suit centers on what the Society and other organizations consider an unconstitutional and illegal taking of protected money. (Click here to read the full complaint.)

When Governor Doyle signed the state budget into law, he approved a transfer of $200 million from the IPFCF to cover completely unrelated government liabilities. There are no taxpayer dollars in the Fund.

“There is no doubt that the Fund raid will make it more difficult to recruit and retain high quality physicians when the practice climate in Wisconsin is unstable,” said Clarence Chou, MD, Society President. “And we couldn’t stand by and let the government steal money from a fund that provides support for injured patients and their families.”

Doctor Chou discussed the lawsuit further with Joy Cardin on Wisconsin Public Radio’s State Report (requires Real Player) Monday morning, and many other news outlets also covered what many agree is an outrageous abuse of government power.

It’s worth nothing that some Senate Democrats are now proposing separate legislation to "swap" the raid for instituting the Hospital Tax. Sen. Roger Breske (D-Eland) put out this release while Sen. Bob Jauch issued this a day later. Sen. Russ Decker also mentioned his desire to avoid the raid lawsuit and create the hospital tax both in the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Click on the following links for a sampling of the media coverage thus far.

To read the Society’s news release about the lawsuit, click here.

October Journal part of global initiative

The latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal focuses largely on the health of Milwaukee and a number of health disparities evident in Wisconsin. But this issue of the Journal is also part of a global initiative designed to shed light on the theme “Poverty and Human Development.”

A total of 235 scientific journals in 37 countries participated in the Council of Science Editors’ 2007 Global Theme Issue. More than 1000 articles were published on October 22, representing research in 85 countries. Click here to learn more information about the global theme issue.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

CPT code updates – What’s new for 2008

There will be twice as many CPT code changes in 2008 as in the past. Significant CPT code changes (242 added codes, 298 revised codes and 51 deleted codes) appear in Evaluation and Management Services, Skin Replacement/Wound Care, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pathology/Laboratory Services, Radiology/Interventional Radiology, Infusion, Modifiers, Ophthalmology and Gastroenterology. Why spend valuable time and resources identifying and interpreting the changes when we’ve done the work for you!

Attend this one-day seminar near you to get the information you need to implement the CPT code changes in your office. Sandy Giangreco, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-OBGYN, will guide participants through the changes and discuss how they will affect the medical practice. You will also receive an update on the 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. Click here to learn more or register on-line.

FYI: FOR YOUR INSURANCE

All worker’s comp carriers are not alike

Many employers and workers are uncertain about the worker’s compensation process and often have questions:

What can an employer do to find a return-to-work position for an employee?
What treatment is appropriate for a specific medical condition?
Where should the injured employee seek that care?
How does the employee get back to work?

Society Insurance’s response is their innovative Telephonic Nurse Case Manager (TCM) program. The new TCM program is a significant benefit for both employers and injured workers. It provides solutions to managing medical treatment activity and takes a proactive approach toward returning injured workers back to work as soon as possible.

Society is well known for its aggressive claim investigations and claims management techniques. The company’s goal is to provide quality care for those claims it owes, while keeping an eye on managing costs for treatment that is reasonable, necessary, and related to the work accident. This new TCM program is just on more tool to enhance Society’s claim service.

Call Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance and Financial Services today at 866.442.3810 or e-mail insurance@wismed.org for more cost-effective claims information.

FOUNDATION FOCUS

Foundation donations help keep outstanding students in Wisconsin

Jason Jagodzinski, a very active third-year student at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, almost lost everything in March during a return trip from his hometown of Wisconsin Rapids. Studying while his girlfriend was driving, a deer suddenly appeared in their path. His girlfriend instinctively swerved to avoid the deer, but lost control and flipped the car. They ended up suspended by their seatbelts in the overturned car, incredibly shaken, but not injured.

Since that fateful event, Jagodzinski has been passionate about sharing his story and advocating for seatbelt use. “The accident provided the opportunity to be both strong under the immediate struggles of the night, but perhaps more importantly, it provided me with a platform to advocate and possibly save lives. I plan to mold my career into one of combined patient care and patient advocacy,” said Jagodinski.

When you contribute to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, you help us offer financial assistance and programs that encourage exceptional students like Jagodzinski to remain in Wisconsin. With his passion for both patient care and advocacy, he is sure to become a leader in the medical profession in Wisconsin.

Please consider making a voluntary contribution to the Foundation when renewing your Wisconsin Medical Society dues or with a gift before the end of the 2007 tax year.

Please Note: Donations for the tax year 2007 must be postmarked by December 31. To contribute on-line, click here. You can also mail your check to Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, 330 E. Lakeside St., Madison, WI 53715 or contact Renee Reback at 608.442.3720 or toll-free at 866.442.3800.

FAQ

Question:
Can physicians using electronic medical records (EMR) copy and paste elements of an office visit from previous dictation into the current dictation instead of personally performing one or more elements of the E/M service?

Answer:
No, the Documentation Guidelines clearly state that the ROS and/or PFSH information may be noted to have no change or can be referred back in previous documentation by noting the date and location of the earlier entry. All other elements must be personally performed at the time of the encounter. Cutting and pasting is inappropriate for all payers.

If you have questions about this or other coding matters, click here to review our FAQ archives, or e-mail efaq@wismed.org.

QUALITY CORNER

New EMR implementation guide available

The Texas Medical Association has made its publication, Electronic Medical Record Implementation Guide, The Link to a Better Future available on-line. Accessing the guide is free, however there is a $25 processing fee for those wishing to claim CME credit. It is approved for three AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for continuing medical education.