This week: bills outlawing non-competes, expanding post-partum Medicaid coverage for new moms introduced

As both Congress and the Wisconsin State Legislature spin up for 2023-24, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (WisMed) Advocacy shop will alert members when bills of interest are introduced or are at a critical stage in the legislative process. These alerts are designed to help physicians optimize their time in helping WisMed’s advocacy work on behalf of physicians and their patients.

Bill in Congress: Workforce Mobility Act of 2023

Author: U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

What it would do:

The bill would create federal law prohibiting certain noncompete agreements in employment contracts. Similar to Rep. Gallagher’s proposed legislation in 2022, HR 1367, this session’s version also empowers state attorneys general to enforce the ban through civil penalties. The bill notes that employers should not resort to rudimentary time and/or geography restrictions, as they could include provisions in employment contracts specific to protecting trade secrets or intellectual property. According to the bill, “Noncompete agreements are blunt instruments that crudely protect employer interests and place a drag on national productivity by forcing covered workers to either idle for long periods of time or leave the industries in which the workers have honed their skills altogether.”

WisMed policy agrees with this assessment, stating that such clauses “interfere with the patient-physician relationship and physician and patient autonomy” (EME-001).

What you can do:

Reach out to your member of Congress and ask them to support the Workforce Mobility Act of 2023. You can visit their individual website or call their Washington, D.C. office (if you reside in Rep. Gallagher’s district, a message of thanks is always well-received):

U.S. House

Similarly, you can contact your U.S. Senators and ask them to author or support a Senate Bill in the upper house:

U.S. Senate

Senator Ron Johnson                (202) 224-5323

Senator Tammy Baldwin            (202) 224-5653

Bill in the State Legislature: Extending post-partum Medicaid coverage for new moms

Authors: State Senators Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), State Assembly Representatives Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) and Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc)

What it would do:

The legislation requires the state’s Department of Health Services to apply for a federal waiver, allowing the state to continue Medicaid coverage for mothers one year post-partum. That coverage would mimic that which newborns receive when the mother is Medicaid-eligible upon delivery. Medicaid eligibility levels are more generous for pregnant mothers, so sometimes a mother “incomes out” of the Medicaid program after giving birth. This disruption harms continuity of care and often makes it more difficult for moms to seek medical care for both themselves and/or their babies – which is usually when comprehensive care is needed the most. Twenty-eight states already provide a full year’s coverage for Medicaid-eligible moms, with six other states planning to expand to one year. Wisconsin’s law currently extends enhanced Medicaid eligibility to mothers on the last day of the month following 60 days post-partum.

What you can do:

Ask your state assembly representative and state senator to cosponsor the proposals, LRB 1377 [link to attachment 23-1377] and its companion LRB 0324. If you live in any of the authors’ districts, sending them a note of thanks is a nice touch.

Find your state legislators’ contact information on the Wisconsin State Legislature’s home page. Fill in your voting address in the “Who Are My Legislators?” box to get emails and phone numbers.

Contact WisMed Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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Help the Foundation and contribute to a great night of fun: Raffle and Wine Pull

Health & Harmony, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s medical education, Foundation fundraiser and annual business meeting, will be held April 14 and 15 at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The education conference will focus on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in health care and the Foundation event will celebrate outstanding health professionals. There will be food, drinks, a wine pull and raffle baskets while guests wait for the program and dueling pianos to start. We hope you can join us! Register here for part or all of the Annual Event.

You may remember the large silent auction from previous Foundation events, but this year we will have a fun and exciting raffle instead! If you are interested in supporting the Foundation by donating an item for the raffle, please reach out to Mikaela Powers. We are looking for items or experiences that will entice attendees to buy raffle tickets. Please consider donating tickets to a sporting event, theater event, getaways such as a cabin or vacation rental or other fun experiences. If you have other ideas or questions about which items we are accepting, please reach out. All donations are tax deductible and will help the Foundation raise money towards our mission to increase health equity and access in Wisconsin by supporting medical education and research and community health programs championed by local physicians.

Another way to help is donating to our wine pull. Guests will be able to purchase a ticket, pick a bag, and a random bottle of wine will be inside. It will be fun for guests to try a new wine and have the potential of winning a luxury bottle for the small ticket price. If you are interested in donating a bottle of wine (or two!), please reach out to Mikaela.

All donors of items or wine will be recognized at the activity check out table. All donations are tax deductible.

Additionally, if your organization is looking for an opportunity to engage with physicians, consider hosting an exhibit booth during the CME event. Please contact Mikaela Powers at mikaela.powers@wismed.org.

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WISMedPAC Board has new members!

The Wisconsin Medical Society's (WisMed) Board of Directors confirmed WISMedPAC board nominees during the January meeting and there are seven new members for 2023! WISMedPAC is WisMed’s political action committee, and its board is responsible for guiding WisMed’s political contribution efforts. The WISMedPAC board is critical to the success of our fundraising and advocacy efforts.

Welcome new board members Michael Becker, MD, Corey Cronrath, DO, Roger Kapoor, MD, residents Shabi Haider, MD, and Micaela Stevenson, MD, and medical students Samantha Crowley (UW) and Elyssa Marmolejo (MCW).

These new board members join Dan Bennett, MD, Bradley Burmeister, MD, Andrew Campbell, MD, Clarence Chou, MD, Donn Dexter, MD, Cynthia Hart, MD, Don Lee, MD, Ken Pechman, MD, and Paul Wertsch, MD – all seasoned members of the WISMedPAC board.

Congratulations to all! We're thrilled to have both residents and medical students added to the board this year.

A big thank you to John Hartman, MD, for many years of service and chairing the board. He has stepped off the board and we will miss his dedication, wisdom and intellect. The new Vice Chair will be elected in March.

The WISMedPAC board meets quarterly. Click here to read more about what the board does. For additional information about WISMedPAC and WISMedDIRECT, click here or contact Heidi Green.

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Eliminating debt

For some of us, there’s an important aspect of eliminating debt, and it has nothing to do with math or dollars. Rather, it’s a mental shift.

Picture in your mind’s eye a hole in the ground representing your auto loan, personal loan, credit card debt and any of your other monthly payments. Every month, you shovel a portion of your paycheck into that hole, and as creatures of habit, we grow accustomed to the monthly payments. When one payment ends, we finance a new purchase, dig the hole deeper and start payments again. Our financial stress and need for a constant paycheck continue.

Now picture that same hole, but this time, it’s filled to the top with dollars. Not only that, you kept shoveling money on and created a pile of cash. My hope is for everyone to get to that point. For everyone to have a pile of cash to purchase their next vehicle, home remodel or make a financial gift to someone in need. My hope is for everyone to feel the weight of debt lifted and the freedom of no payments.

But what about 0% interest debt, isn’t that a smart use of financing? Nope. It’s still a financial hole and it still obligates you to make payments. Make the mental shift to build up cash for purchases instead of borrowing. Payments for life is no way to live.

Residents – want more financial strategies? Join the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation and WisMed Financial for the Resident Financial Blueprint on February 9 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. All registrants will receive a replay. Click here to see other upcoming events.

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. 

Attend your WisMed district or section annual meeting

Planning for Wisconsin Medical Society district and section annual meetings is underway. These meetings are intended to provide information about Wisconsin Medical Society activities, discuss current policy proposals and conduct any district/section business, including the determination of representation on the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. This page will be updated with additional meeting information like time, location and registration links, if applicable. You must be a Wisconsin Medical Society member to participate. Please also register for Health & Harmony, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s medical education, Foundation fundraiser and annual business meeting, will be held April 14 and 15 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

For more information contact Stephanie Taylor. Click here to find your district. 

• District 1 – TBD
• District 2 – March 7
• District 3 – March 6
• District 4 – March 21
• District 5 – TBD
• District 6 – March 21
• District 7 – March 14
• District 8 – March 9
• Specialty Sections – TBD
• Student Section – TBD
• Resident/Fellow Section (RFS) – TBD
• 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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Weigh in: WisMed Board actions on policy proposals

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) Board of Directors (Board) recently acted on four policy proposals submitted through PolicyLink. Those proposal topics include:

• Addressing the Black Maternal and Infant Mortality Crisis in Wisconsin
• Closing Wisconsin Firearm Loopholes and Expanding Community Safety Measures
• Increasing Access to Gender Affirming Care in Wisconsin
• Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Reproductive Healthcare

Now WisMed members can weigh in on those Board actions via PolicyLink and register their support, disagreement and/or other comments. The comment period for this round of policy proposals will be open through Thursday, February 16. This feedback is advisory for the Board.

To participate in the comment period:

1. Visit policylink.wismed.org
2. Login with your WisMed username and password*
3. Click “Comment on Proposal” in the top menu
4. Select “Vote on Board Action”
5. Click on a blue proposal title – you will see the original proposal, the Policy Review Committee’s recommendation and the Board action
6. When ready, click on agree, disagree, or neutral in regards to the Board's action and submit any comments if desired in the text box
7. Click “Submit Comment” button at the bottom of the page

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 March 24, 2023.

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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Child care and school immunization requirement updates

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has proposed updating the immunization requirements for child care centers and school entry to better align with national vaccine recommendations. The changes, proposed by administrative rule, include updated requirements related to meningitis and whooping cough immunizations, and that past chickenpox infection must be documented by a qualified medical professional. There is no change to existing exemption options for medical, religious or philosophical reasons. Seasonal flu vaccination or COVID-19 vaccination are not required but remain strongly recommended.

The state legislature reviews administrative rules proposals, and can object to part or all of a proposed rule. If that happens, implementation of the rule can be suspended – which is possible for this rule. 

Child care requirements would be effective February 1, 2023, while implementation of the updated school entry requirements would start with the 2023-2024 school year. This would be the first update to Wisconsin Admin. Code ch. DHS 144, Immunization of Students, since 2008.

DHS recommends that health professionals:

• Communicate changes to families, especially families who are behind or are coming due for vaccines. Visit the Immunization Requirements page to find resources to share with parents and caregivers. DHS will be providing a toolkit with additional resources.
• Ensure all clinic staff are aware of the new school requirements.
• Plan for increased education to families who may have questions about the vaccines.
• Plan for increased volume in vaccines that may be needed for school entry, including during sports physical clinics.
• Plan to use updated reporting forms. The Child Care Immunization Record form has been updated. The School Immunization Record form will be shared by DHS when it becomes available.

Please visit the DHS Child Care and Schools Immunization Changes webpage for more information and send any additional questions to DHSImmProgram@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

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