Run for a Healthier Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation is planning a run/walk challenge later this year. Join friends, family and colleagues in virtually exploring the state, especially those communities where donor funding has allowed the Foundation to provide grants that address determinants of health.

As people traverse the state they may need some virtual rest stops. Would you like to sponsor one? Sponsorship is free: just share a little bit of who you are and why you love your community and/or health care organization and we will share that as runners pass by. This includes anything from how your neighbors or colleagues are always there to help out, a cool landmark or your favorite coffee shop or bakery – just tell us what’s great! Please reach out to Marje Murray, Executive Director of the Foundation, for more information or to plan a virtual rest stop.

Details will be coming as they are worked out. You would be joining an idea in progress!

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Gov. Evers unveils 2021-23 biennial budget proposal; signs PPP tax bill into law

In a recorded address to a joint session of the Wisconsin State Legislature Tuesday evening (Feb. 16), Governor Tony Evers unveiled his $91 billion 2021-23 biennial state budget proposal. Tuesday’s budget address starts a months-long process on the most important legislation of the session, with the GOP-controlled Joint Committee on Finance receiving the budget as Assembly Bill 68/Senate Bill 111.

The budget as proposed by Governor Evers contains many items supported by the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society), such as supporting telehealth parity, investing in broadband access, expanding postpartum Medicaid eligibility for women from 60 days to 12 months and a much-needed increase in Medicaid reimbursement for emergency physicians. On the less positive side, the budget creates a “medical” marijuana system where physicians would be tasked with verifying that patients have certain health conditions that would allow the patient to purchase marijuana tax-free.

The budget also includes provisions that some GOP legislative leaders have deemed “poison pills,” such as reversing Act 10 collective bargaining limits, expanding Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act (something the Society supports) and legalization of recreational marijuana. Because of those and other provisions, the Finance Committee may choose to start its section-by-section review of the budget from a different starting point: either a subset of the Governor’s proposal or ignoring the proposal altogether and instead building a budget that starts from current agency appropriation levels.

The Finance Committee will likely schedule various public hearings around the state to take public input on the Governor’s proposal. It will then hold multiple executive sessions to amend the bill, agency by agency, before sending the amended bill to the full Senate and Assembly for approval. The Society will continue to analyze the 1,846-page bill and advocate for sound health care policy that supports physicians and their patients.

Earlier this afternoon, Governor Evers signed a bill into law ensuring that businesses will not face state taxes for participating in the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which offered forgivable loans in order to prevent employee layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation, Assembly Bill 2, mirrors action taken by Congress late last year to eliminate any federal tax liability for forgiven PPP loans. The Society was part of a large coalition supporting the state proposal.

Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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Preventing SARS-CoV-2 in Systems, next in CME series on Feb. 24

On February 24, Nasia Safdar, MD, MS, will present Preventing SARS-CoV-2 in Systems as part of the SARS-CoV-2 CME Town Hall Series.* Dr. Safdar will discuss the spread of the virus in health systems, schools and other industries.

Dr. Safdar is a faculty member in the Division of Infectious Disease within the Department of Medicine and holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Population Health and the Division of Geriatrics, as well as the division of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UW Madison.

This live webinar series is free for Wisconsin Medical Society members, but registration is required to attend.

Session topics and schedule for the remaining live presentations are listed below. All live presentations will be held from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. To register for the remaining presentations, click here.

February 24: Preventing SARS-CoV-2 in Systems
March 3: SARS Cov-2 infections in children and adolescents and pathophysiology of unusual effect of the virus

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

*This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™.

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Senate passes COVID-19 liability protection as part of special session bill

The Wisconsin State Senate approved legislation this morning, February 18, that will provide important civil liability protections related to COVID-19 for health care entities and other businesses. Meeting in a special session called by Governor Tony Evers on a bill to revamp the state’s Unemployment Insurance computer system, the Senate approved January 2021 Special Session Senate Bill 1 on a 27-3 roll call vote. Soon after the vote, Gov. Evers released a statement saying the bill is “a step in the right direction,” perhaps signaling his intention to sign the bill should it reach his desk. The Wisconsin Medical Society has strongly supported establishing civil liability protections related to COVID-19 to help prevent opportunistic lawsuits seeking to capitalize on the pandemic.

According to the bill, “Beginning March 1, 2020, an entity is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to any individual or damages caused by an act or omission resulting in or relating to exposure, directly or indirectly, to the novel coronavirus identified as SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 in the course of or through the performance or provision of the entity's functions or services.” The immunity would not apply in cases of reckless or wonton conduct or intentional misconduct, nor for any claims already filed before the bill’s enactment. The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance amended the bill on Wednesday to include the liability protection language.

The bill now heads to the State Assembly, which may take up the measure as soon as Tuesday, February 23. Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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COVID-19 PSA

Wisconsin Medical Society President, Erik Gundersen, MD, MA, is featured in a COVID-19 PSA. In addition to reminding patients of the basic safety precautions of masking, physical distancing and handwashing, Dr. Gundersen encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are able.

To help encourage timely vaccinations, please feel free to share the PSA which can be found on the Wisconsin Medical Society’s social media channels.

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COVID-19 buttons to spark patient conversations via WisMed and Pharmacy Society partnership

Wisconsin Medical Society members can get free Stop the Spread buttons. In an effort to encourage conversations with patients about healthy COVID-19 behaviors and vaccine hesitancy, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s COVID-19 Task Force developed a button that can be worn by physicians and other members of the health care team to help spark those conversations. Through a partnership with the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, buttons were produced and are currently being distributed around the state.

Buttons are free to Society members, but there is a limited quantity, so requests will be filled in the order they are received. Click here to order for you and your team today!

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Reminder: Settlers bank to assist physicians and clinics with SBA/PPP application process

Physicians and clinics can reach out to Settlers bank for assistance with SBA/PPP loan applications. Settlers bank is a local Wisconsin business focused on serving the needs of physicians and clinics throughout the state. As part of that mission, Settlers bank will assist with questions regarding the SBA/PPP loan application process – and is extending that service to physicians and clinics regardless of whether or not they are a current client.

If a physician or clinic decides to use Settlers bank for the SBA/PPP loan application process, all that is required is to open an operating account and have a brief conversation about their overall banking needs. Settlers bank also works closely with CPAs to help navigate tax implications as well as financial modeling.

Settlers bank offers a one-call approach to the medical community because they understand that now more than ever time is of the essence. 

• Contact a participating lender for details regarding PPP Second Draw Loans and guidelines. Visit settlerswi.com for more information.
• Second Draw PPP Loans are available through March 31, 2021 to borrowers that previously received a First Draw PPP loan.
• Click here for the application. (Functions best in Google Chrome browser.)
• Second Draw PPP Loans are generally subject to the same terms, conditions and requirements as First Draw PPP Loans.
• Second Draw PPP Loans are only eligible for borrowers with 300 employees or less with maximum loan amount of $2 million.
• Second Draw PPP Loan applicants must have experienced a revenue reduction of 25% (or greater) in same calendar quarter in 2020 relative to 2019.

Anne Fink, CFP® is a Private Banker specializing in working with physicians. To get started, contact Anne at [email protected] or 608.842.5025. To learn more about Settlers bank, click here.

Settlers bank is MEMBER FDIC.

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Personal finance classes for medical students and residents

Improving personal financial health and knowledge among physicians is a core purpose of both WisMed Assure and WisMed Financial, both part of the Wisconsin Medical Society. To provide a solid foundation before even entering practice, they have developed personal finance classes specifically for medical students and residents. 

Below is an outline of the curriculum recently requested by one residency program.

1. Overwhelmed by where to start – prioritizing what to do and when
2. Student loan repayment options and forgiveness programs
3. Insurance 101 personal lines and medical malpractice
4. Employment contracts
5. Investing foundation
6. Open discussion panel with all speakers from preceding 5 sessions

Each financial class runs 30-60 minutes with time for Q&A.

There is no cost for members of the Wisconsin Medical Society. To learn more about providing personal financial education for your students or residents, please contact Tom or Mark.

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