Weigh in on proposed WisMed policies today!

Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) member policy proposals are now posted on PolicyLink and are open for members to register support, opposition and/or comments. The comment period for this round of policy proposals will be open through Friday, April 8, 2022.

To participate in WisMed policymaking:

1. Visit policylink.wismed.org
2. Login with your WisMed username and password*
3. Click “Comment on Proposal” from the menu at the top of the page
4. Select “Comment Period 1”
5. Click on a blue proposal title
6. When ready, click on support, oppose or suggest amendments and submit any comments in the text box below
7. Click “Submit Comment” button at the bottom of the page

After the close of this comment period, proposed policies will move to the Policy Review Committee (PRC) which will review each proposal and member comments to help inform their recommendation to the WisMed Board of Directors (BOD). The BOD will decide whether to adopt, not adopt or make changes to the proposal.

Have a policy that you want to submit for consideration?
While in PolicyLink click on “Submit Proposal” (in the menu bar at the top of the page) and enter your proposed policy. Policies submitted during this period will fall into the next submission funnel to be posted on July 15, 2022.

For questions about PolicyLink or WisMed’s policymaking process, contact Mark Grapentine.

*PolicyLink requires your WisMed username and password. Click here to retrieve your username or password, or call 866.442.3800 or email membership@wismed.org for assistance.

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Annual Meeting to feature COVID-19 therapeutics presentation

The Wisconsin Medical Society’s 2022 Annual Meeting will feature a presentation on COVID-19 Therapeutics from Jonathan Meiman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Environmental and Occupational Health at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Deanna Olexia, Enterprise Coordinator for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. Learn more about the speakers here.

During the presentation Dr. Meiman will focus on the distribution and utilization of the new oral antivirals, Paxlovid and molnupiravir. This presentation will describe the challenges connecting patients with treatment and will explore ways state government and physicians can collaborate to ensure equitable access to these medications. Ms. Olexia will discuss the experiences from a system-wide outreach program for distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics. The presentation will describe the challenges of patient identification, laboratory testing and screening for drug interactions, and the benefits of a team approach for oral antiviral outreach.

There will be a Q&A after the presentation. Register today* so you don’t miss this timely and relevant information. To learn more about the presenters and the 2022 Annual Meeting, click here.

Annual Meeting Agenda

“Virtual Coffee and Donuts”
Network with peers prior to the meeting

Welcome & Introduction
Past President Address
President’s Farewell and Presentation of Past-President’s Award
Installment of President & Treasurer 
Incoming President’s Address
Treasurer’s Report

Society CEO
Introduction of Mike Flesher, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s new CEO
Farwell message from Bud Chumbley, MD

COVID-19 Therapeutics
Presented by Jonathan Meiman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Occupational and Environmental Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Deanna Olexia, Enterprise Coordinator for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin

Society Awards

Advocacy update & PolicyLink overview
Presented by Mark Grapentine, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer, Wisconsin Medical Society

WisMed members can register via the events tab of the WisMed Mobile app or here.* Contact membership@wismed.org for questions or help registering.

*Please note that Zoom may require you to sign up for a free Zoom account before registering for the event. You will receive a confirmation email once your event registration is complete.

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Introducing PACtalk

Starting in April, watch for a new bi-weekly feature in Medigram called PACtalk! PACtalk will focus on the WISMedPAC board, political giving via our PAC and conduit, upcoming elections, legislation that may affect your practice and patients and answer your questions about these or other topics!

Our goal is to share more information on a regular basis, helping connect you with our Government Relations department while learning what it takes to strengthen physician advocacy. Elected policymakers need to hear the physician voice to better understand the ramifications of decisions made in Madison and Washington, DC.  

Please submit any questions or topics you'd like covered in PACtalk to heidi.green@wismed.org.

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Additional Caucus meetings scheduled

Wisconsin Medical Society Districts 5, 7 and 8 have held their Caucus meetings and the remaining meetings are listed below. This page will be updated as caucus meetings are scheduled. Must be a Society member to participate. For more information contact membership@wismed.org.

• District 1 – TBD
• District 2 – April 5 at 6:30 p.m. meeting virtually, contact Stephanie Taylor for link
• District 3 – April 5 at 6:30 p.m. meeting virtually, contact Stephanie Taylor for link
• District 4 – TBD
• District 5 – took place on March 16
• District 6 – April 5 at 7 p.m. meeting virtually, contact Stephanie Taylor for link
• District 7 – took place on March 8
• District 8 – took place on March 18
  
  
• Specialty Sections – April 6 at 6 p.m. meeting virtually
• Medical Student Section – April 7 at 6 p.m. meeting virtually, contact Stephanie Taylor for link
• Resident/Fellow Section (RFS) – April 8 at 8:00 p.m. meeting virtually, contact Stephanie Taylor for link
• Young Physician Section (YPS) – TBD

Policy proposals can be submitted and reviewed via PolicyLink.* Please contact membership@wismed.org with any questions or for help logging in.

*PolicyLink is a members-only resource and will require you to log in. For questions or assistance please contact membership@wismed.org.

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IRS proposed rule changes impact estate planning

Last month, the IRS released proposed changes that impact how much your family could inherit. Anyone leaving a retirement account to children is especially impacted, even without a will or trust. This started when the SECURE Act was signed into law in December 2019, dramatically changing the estate planning and inheritance landscape for families. The proposed regulations intend to clarify areas of the SECURE Act that were vague or needed clarity.

The proposed rules include and/or clarify:

• When beneficiaries must withdraw (and pay taxes on) funds from retirement accounts. In most cases, the withdrawal is accelerated and creates higher taxes leaving less for beneficiaries.
• Leaving retirement accounts to trust(s), typically for the benefit of children, continues to be an option. Multiple pages of the proposal specifically discuss the use of trusts.
• Required minimum distributions from all IRAs must be distributed before rolling over an IRA. This can impact the timing of qualified charitable distributions and estimated tax payments for those age 72 or older who complete a rollover. Those with a maturing IRA CD at the bank may inadvertently be caught in this scenario.

What should you do?

• Consider how you intend to provide for your family.
• If your estate plan contains a trust and it hasn’t been reviewed since December 2019, it’s time for a review. Specifically, language that refers to and relies on IRS regulations to determine the payout to spouse or children may need to be updated.
• If you’re leaving assets to both family and charity, selecting the right asset for each can save thousands of dollars in taxes. Use tax deferred accounts for charitable gifts.
• If your children are high earners, it may make sense to accelerate retirement distributions and pay taxes now depending on your current tax bracket. This ensures taxes are paid at the lowest tax rate.

Want more guidance? Download our complimentary estate review checklist and/or utilize the estate review and document package from our partners.

You can also download the 2022 tax brackets, retirement contribution limits, investment checklist, and quick decision flow charts from the new WisMed Mobile app.

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

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

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PATCH Symposium – improve health care professional interactions with teens

The PATCH Symposium will be held April 20 in Madison and is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for health care professionals and young people (ages 12-21) from across Wisconsin to collaborate to learn, share and grow as adolescent health champions and advocates! This event is designed to provide professional development opportunities to a variety of Wisconsin health care professionals while prioritizing youth voices.

At the PATCH Symposium, attendees will be given the opportunity to learn from health experts during a variety of breakout sessions – all of which are co-presented with a teen. Topics include adolescent confidentiality, COVID-19 vaccination and teens, serving youth with special health care needs, toxic teen relationships, destigmatizing mental health, impacts of discrimination on BIPOC youth, motivational interviewing for health care transition, perspectives on youth digital lives, creating inclusive and sex positive health environments and vaping and teens – with the potential for conversations about many other topics.

Together, attendees and young people will be able to:

• Describe the concerns, preferences and realities of young people in health care settings.
• Acknowledge diversity among teens and recognize the challenges and opportunities this poses in health care settings
• Identify clinical education, practice improvement and policy opportunities to enhance adolescent health services in Wisconsin.
• Demonstrate ways to be adolescent health champions in their communities.

Click here for agenda, registration and details.

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