Medigram, the Society’s electronic newsletter for physicians, features timely news, upcoming events, answers to frequently asked questions and all the information you need to know to make your practice run more efficiently. Topics include legislative updates, legal information, practice management information, government regulations, and much more. Published weekly, Medigram is delivered via email on Thursdays.

If you have a Medigram story idea or would like to offer feedback, please email us or call 866.442.3800.

Proposed tax changes could impact physicians
As high earners, physicians may be impacted by the proposed American Families Plan currently working its way through Congress. That means this year is especially important for year-end tax planning.

District team 3 wins the GO PAC GO challenge!
Led by Donn Dexter, MD, District team 3, also known as The Mighty Docs, is the winner of GO PAC GO. Congratulations to them! There’s a four-way tie for 4th Quarter MVP. Joshua Balts, MD, George Morris, MD, FAAN, Ken Pechman, MD, PhD, MMM, and Dick Dart, MD, all contributed $1,000. Thank you and congratulations.

Improve health and support your community
Supporting your local United Way and improving health equity and access through the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) is as easy as designating the Foundation for a portion of your regular contribution. Writing in the Foundation as a preferred charity on your donation form helps to advance its mission and a portion of that donation stays in your community with your local United Way.

Cyber Security Awareness Month – is your patient data protected?
October is Cyber Awareness Month, and the potential risk of a medical practice experiencing a cyber breach, hacking, ransomware, social engineering, phishing or other malicious event is truly scary. Events like these can shut down business information systems and/or breach the security and privacy of your patients’ personal health information and personal financial information.

Proposed tax changes could impact physicians

note that reads what will new tax plan mean for me

As high earners, physicians may be impacted by the proposed American Families Plan currently working its way through Congress. That means this year is especially important for year-end tax planning.

To help Wisconsin Medical Society Members prepare for tax season, WisMed Financial is hosting a Year-End Tax Planning workshop on November 17 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register.

Can’t attend? Sign up anyway and the recording will be sent to registrants after the event.

During the workshop attendees will reference their last tax return to:

  • identify key numbers and areas that can be controlled
  • determine how they may be impacted by proposed tax changes in 2022
  • identify how to adjust their taxable income and deductions to control taxes

It’s not how much you earn, but how much you keep that counts. Good tax planning is a smart way to keep more earnings.

For more details of the proposed tax plan, check out this article. To your best life and healthy finances.

For personalized help eliminating debt, investing smart, and securing retirement, please contact Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® 608.442.3750.

WisMed Financial

Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF®
WisMed Financial, Inc. part of the Wisconsin Medical Society.

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Rogers Behavioral Health

District team 3 wins the GO PAC GO challenge!

GO PAC GO - QTR 3
Scoreboard

Led by Donn Dexter, MD, District team 3, also known as The Mighty Docs, is the winner of GO PAC GO. Congratulations to them!

There’s a four-way tie for 4th Quarter MVP. Joshua Balts, MD, George Morris, MD, FAAN, Ken Pechman, MD, PhD, MMM, and Dick Dart, MD, all contributed $1,000. Thank you and congratulations.

Thank you to all who participated in this first GO PAC GO fall fundraising challenge. The WISMedPAC Board looks forward to this becoming an annual event. 

If you missed out on this opportunity to support your Wisconsin Medical Society political giving program, all is not lost. Contact Heidi Green at 608.358.6116 to make a contribution or contribute here.

$2,500 - $3,000
Donn Dexter, MD, District 3

$2,000 - $2,499
-

$1,500 - $1,999
-

$1,000 - $1,499
Joshua Balts, MD, District 7
Daniel Bennett, MD, District 2
Clyde "Bud" Chumbley, MD, District 5
Richard Dart, MD, District 2
Dave Hoffman, MD, District 3
Paul Larson, MD, District 6
Don Lee, MD, District 1
George "Chip" Morris, MD, District 4
Jose Ortiz, Jr., MD, District 3
Ken Pechman, MD, PhD, MMM, District 8
Paul Wertsch, MD, District 2

$500 - $999
Angie Geiger, MD, District 6
Mark Grapentine, JD, District 2
Jerry Halverson, MD, District 2
Cynthia Hart, MD, District 7
Tom Joles, District 3
Kenneth Merkitch, MD, District 3
Wendy Molaska, MD, District 2

$1 - $499
Alicia Arnold, MD, District 3
John Brennan, III, MD, District 1
Lynn Broderick, MD, District 2
Bradley Burmeister, MD, District 8
Andrew Campbell, MD, District 6
Joel Charles, MD, MPH, District 3
Justin Endo, MD, District 2
Michael Fiore, MD, MPH, MBA, District 2
Robin Goldsmith, MD, District 6
Ethan Handler, MD, District 6
John Hartman, MD, District 8
Malcolm Hatfield, MD, District 1
Stephen Hathway, MD, District 8
Ken Klein, District 1
Nathan Larsen, MD, District 6
Susan Martens, District 5
James Meyer, MD, FAAFP, District 7
Mike Miller, MD, District 2
George Monese, MD, District 8
Vinay Nijhawan, MD, District 3
Robbin Papendick, DO, MPH, District 5
Cornelia Reidel, District 4
Tom Sandager, MD, FAAFP, District 3
Ani Saryan Kopf, MD, District 4
Jean Schott Wagner, MD, District 6
Alan Schwartzstein, MD, District 2
Chirs Torkelson, MD, District 5
Tyler Rickers, DO, District 2
Tosha Wetterneck, MD, District 2


Thank you to our team captains!

Team 1 – Don Lee, MD, MPH
Team 2 – Dan Bennett, MD, and Paul Wertsch, MD
Team 3 – Donn Dexter, MD
Team 4 – George Morris, MD, FAAN
Team 5 – Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA
Team 6 – Andrew Campbell, MD, Clarence Chou, MD, Sherry Clarke
Team 7 – Cynthia Hart, MD
Team 8 – Ken Pechman, MD, PhD, MMM, Bradley Burmeister, MD, John Hartman, MD

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Reduced rates for the Association Health Plan - WisMed Assure

Improve health and support your community

Supporting your local United Way and improving health equity and access through the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) is as easy as designating the Foundation for a portion of your regular contribution. Writing in the Foundation as a preferred charity on your donation form helps to advance its mission and a portion of that donation stays in your community with your local United Way.

To contribute to the Foundation, please use the legal name Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation and EIN 39-6045649. The impact grows with each contribution!

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Cyber Security Awareness Month – is your patient data protected?

October is Cyber Awareness Month, and the potential risk of a medical practice experiencing a cyber breach, hacking, ransomware, social engineering, phishing or other malicious event is truly scary. Events like these can shut down business information systems and/or breach the security and privacy of your patients’ personal health information and personal financial information. The result of these cyber tricks are no treat!

Source: Amwins

Here are a few things to know:

  • Physician practices, medical clinics and health care organizations are amongst the most targeted because they are considered a “critical” industry.
  • Many Medical Professional Liability (Med Mal) policies issued today contain a small amount of Cyber Liability coverage, such as $100,000. ProAssurance provides $150,000 for Wisconsin Medical Society Members. However, this is not nearly enough coverage for most practices. WisMed Assure offers easy options to purchase $1M in limits with no application needed and at very competitive premiums.
  • For practices requiring higher limits, WisMed Assure agents can assist with various insurance carriers and coverage options.
  • Cyber Liability Insurance is going through a hard market cycle. Due to increasing frequency and severity of losses, many carriers are restricting coverage, offering lower limits, increasing deductibles and most importantly requiring certain risk mitigation processes be in place before even offering coverage.

The top five requirements to obtain coverage for most larger clinics, hospitals and health systems are:

  • MFA (Multifactor Authentication)
  • Back-ups (Off premises, separated from internal systems)
  • Ability to bring systems back up within 10 days
  • Phishing training
  • EDR (Endpoint detection system)

Don’t forget to utilize the free resources that many insurance programs offer. For additional information, to discuss Cyber Liability coverage or to put additional coverage in place, please contact Laura Weber 608.442.3897.

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