Doctor Day 2021 gathers hundreds of physicians for well-timed advocacy

With deliberations over the 2021-23 biennial state budget getting underway in Madison this week (see story below), the state’s largest advocacy day for physicians and their patients resulted in dozens of successful virtual meetings between physicians and their elected officials on Wednesday. Doctor Day 2021 also allowed physicians from across the state to hear from important members of the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance, get detailed updates on physician-related budget priorities and enjoy a keynote address from current AMA President Susan Bailey, MD, about medicine amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was the eighth annual Doctor Day, with the Wisconsin Medical Society joining with state physician specialty societies in an organized day of policymaker education and physician advocacy. Society member Brad Burmeister, MD, kicked off the day with a heartfelt thank you to those attending and passionately asking them to become politically active.

Dr. Bailey’s keynote highlighted the myriad ways physicians have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the AMA has advocated for government to respond quickly in ways that help physicians’ ability to provide health care to all patients, even during a pandemic. She highlighted the AMA’s efforts to maintain telehealth flexibilities in a post-pandemic environment and spoke passionately about how physicians deserve additional support after enduring 14 months of burnout-inducing pressures.

A legislative panel featuring Joint Finance Committee co-chair Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) and members Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) offered a spirited interchange over various health care items in Governor Tony Evers’ biennial budget proposal. Wisconsin Health News founding editor Tim Stumm moderated the discussion that ranged from Medicaid expansion to telehealth to what the legislature may include in the budget related to the state’s eventual emergence from the pandemic.

Attendees were able to visit various breakout sessions to hear more in-depth discissions on specific topics. Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and Department of Health Services-designee Karen Timberlake highlighted a range of health equity challenges, City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson led a discussion of how local public health has battled the generational challenges brough by COVID-19 and Axley law firm partners Guy DuBeau and Aneet Kaur described some of the developing scope of practice and out-of-network billing happenings in Madison and Washington, D.C.

Physicians received a deeper dive into physician priorities for the upcoming budget: addressing the nation’s lowest Medicaid reimbursement levels for emergency physicians, extending Medicaid services to post-partum mothers from the current 60 days to one year and making permanent telehealth flexibilities that have been widely embraced by physicians and patients alike. All 132 state legislative offices received these two information papers on Monday to help facilitate their discussions with physicians on Wednesday. The next biennium’s budget is scheduled to take effect on July 1, so this year’s Doctor Day was perfectly timed to help inform legislative debate.

Doctor Day 2022 has been scheduled for February 8, 2022 in Madison – a welcome return to in-person advocacy that will also allow physicians to better network and reestablish relationships that have been placed on hold since March 2020.

For more information, contact the Society’s Heidi Green or Mark Grapentine, JD.

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Run for a healthier Wisconsin with the Foundation

Ease out of the pandemic isolation with the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation. Run (or Walk!) for a Healthier Wisconsin! Registration for this completely virtual challenge extends through the rest of the year and includes a hat, a t-shirt and prizes for reaching milestones.

The Race Joy app will help track participants’ progress. Friends or colleagues can form a team and challenge each other. The virtual course explores Wisconsin and provides a glimpse into programs around the state that the Foundation provided grants to last year.

See how even during a pandemic your gifts help make Wisconsin a healthier place – and become healthier in the process. Share your pics and progress on social media to help encourage others. With enough participants, race proceeds can fund a new grant!

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Meet WISMedPAC Board Member Dr. Lee

Don Lee, MD, MPH, is a hospitalist in Southeast Wisconsin and has been a very active member of the Wisconsin Medical Society. He’s been on the WISMedPAC board for more than five years, contributing both financially and with his time, by hosting political fundraisers at his home and attending countless fundraising events. Dr. Lee shared some thoughts about being politically active.*

How long have you been politically active?
I would say during medical school when I joined the Wisconsin Medical Society and the American Medical Association. That was more than 20 years ago.

How does being politically active make you a better physician?
I am not sure my being politically active has made me a better physician, but I will say being a physician has made me a better public health and health policy advocate for my patients. Elected officials want to hear from their constituents, and physicians can advocate for their patients at all levels of government. This past year, I have talked directly to my state senator and members of Congress about the importance of wearing masks, getting the vaccine and ensuring our hospitals get the support they need to fight this pandemic.

Your advice for physicians on how to get more involved in issues that affect their profession? 
First, join the Wisconsin Medical Society and attend events such as Doctor Day. Second, write a resolution such as a policy proposal and submit it to the Wisconsin Medical Society for review. 

Other than politics, what else interests you at the moment?
I am organizing an event called The Masked Doctor Music Challenge. I am also reading a book by Ben Bernanke called The Courage to Act.

What is the best part of being a physician?
The best part of being a physician is knowing that every day that I am taking care of patients, I am making a positive difference in their lives.

Any final thoughts?
I was taught from an early age that physicians save lives not only in the hospital and clinics where they go and see patients but also in their communities that they live and enjoy life. Now, more than ever, we physicians have the opportunity to help our communities get the tools they need to fight this pandemic.

Click here to learn more about WISMedPAC or WISMedDIRECT (the Society’s conduit).  

*Dr. Lee represents only himself, and not his employer, with his interview and participation in Doctor Day.

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Joint Finance Committee starts biennial budget work

This afternoon, May 6, the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) began its work to reshape the 2021-23 state biennial budget proposal. Its first action that passed was a party-line vote removing hundreds of items included in Governor Tony Evers’s original budget proposal and not allowing those items to be brought up for further JCF consideration (the 12-4 Republican majority first rejected a Democratic motion to preserve Medicaid expansion for further debate).

The committee then voted to amend the budget bill back to current spending levels (aka “base” levels) as the starting point for the next several weeks of JCF deliberations. Over that period the Society will continue to advocate that important health care policy items be included either in the final budget bill or in separate legislation, including reimbursement increases for emergency and primary care physician Medicaid services, extending coverage for Medicaid-eligible moms from 60 days post-partum to one year post-partum and making permanent certain telehealth flexibilities established during the COVID-19 pandemic. All of those items were part of Doctor Day meetings physicians held with their elected officials (see previous story).

Stay tuned to future editions of Medigram for updates on the state budget process. Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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Help increase vaccine uptake in Wisconsin

Order free buttons to help start the conversation!

Wisconsin physicians have stepped up for their patients throughout the pandemic and the Wisconsin Medical Society’s COVID-19 Task Force is asking physicians to lead in another vitally important effort: helping increase the state’s COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Studies have shown that patients are much more likely to get vaccinated when they hear that physicians got their shots as soon as they were available. In some parts of the state vaccine supply is beginning to surpass demand, so it’s time to make sure that patients are aware of COVID-19 vaccine availability and that physicians are available to help answer any questions they may have.

The Task Force suggests a few methods to help boost these vaccinations:

• Create a process where your MA or other clinical staff ask whether the patient has received a COVID-19 shot.
• Adjust your EMR’s rooming settings to automatically prompt the COVID-19 vaccine question to the patient.
• Have conversations with your health care staff to ensure they are taking advantage of vaccination opportunities and have the chance to ask you any questions.
• If you're in a larger system, reach out to your CMO and CEO to ask them to help support methods that can increase vaccine uptake.

On this last point, one of our COVID-19 Task Force members sent an excellent email to their leadership which can be used as a template to communicate with leadership.

These efforts over the next few months can be a key element in helping Wisconsin get closer to herd immunity. Consider using these handouts or these links to help guide the vaccination discussion with patients. Additional information can be found on the WisMed COVID-19 Resources webpage.

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COBRA and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

The WisMed Assure team keeps an eye on all things related to employee benefits and employers, especially those who qualify for COBRA coverage (have 20 or more employees), should be aware of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

This plan, or part of it, provides financial subsidies covering 100% of the cost for employees already on COBRA, and for employees who will become COBRA eligible due to reduction in hours or involuntary termination between the dates of April 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021. 

For more information, please visit HR360 for detailed information. (HR360 is one of the many services WisMed Assure provides to their employee benefit clients.) 

WisMed Assure will continue to monitor this for their clients. Their team is in constant contact with legal and compliance partners and are always looking out for regulatory changes that may have an impact on the financial security of Wisconsin physicians and health care practices.

President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March 11. The bill contains two provisions affecting COBRA and the Dependent Care FSA.

COBRA: A full subsidy for COBRA premiums for COBRA qualifying beneficiaries when the qualifying event is involuntary termination of employment. In general, the subsidy will begin for coverage periods beginning on April 1, 2021 and ending on September 30, 2021 (Section 9501).

Dependent Care FSA: The limit for dependent care assistance plans will be increased from $5,000 to $10,500 for the 2021 calendar year (Section 9632).

WisMed Assure will provide information as it becomes available.

Chris Noffke, GBDS, VP of Employee Benefits

Article originally posted here.

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Free economic development webinar from RWHC

Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) recently launched a new program focused on the idea that rural hospitals are only as economically viable as the rural communities they serve. The Community Economic Development Program offers professional development designed to increase hospital leadership’s knowledge of and ability to engage in local economic development issues.

The first program in the series is a webinar focused on housing issues in rural Wisconsin. Click here to learn more about the free event to be hosted by RWHC on May 25 at 9:00 a.m.

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