GO PAC GO kicks off Sunday!

Starting on Sunday, while the Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears, the WISMedPAC board is kicking off our Third Annual GO PAC GO fundraising effort for our PAC (political action committee). 

GO PAC GO is a four week fundraising effort modeled after a football game with each week representing a quarter. There will be MVPs and scores at the end of each quarter, with eight “teams” represented by the Society’s eight different geographical districts. Find your team/district here (we need leaders for Districts 3, 4 and 5). Your goal is to help your team contribute the most money to the WISMedPAC by the end of the game on October 7. The past two years the winning team has been District 7, with heavy leadership by Donn Dexter, MD, and Tom Joles, MD.  We celebrate with a trophy and cocktails at a local county meeting. District 7’s teamwork has been tough to beat the last two years – and to be honest they could use some healthy competition this season! They’re looking for a great game!

So, get off the bench on Sunday and contribute here to WISMedPAC (we know what district you’re in and your name will be on the scoreboard in Medigram). There will be more information to come next week. Just as every point matters in a football game, EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS for GO PAC GO.  Please contribute here. Our advocacy efforts depend on our ability to battle on behalf of medicine at the Capitol.

If you have any questions, please contact our GO PAC GO General Manager Heidi Green at 608.358.6116. 

Thank you and GO PAC GO!

Your WISMed PAC Board,

Dan Bennett, MD and Chair, Team 2
Cynthia Hart, MD and Vice Chair, Team 8
Paul Wertsch, MD and Treasurer, Team 2
Mike Becker, MD, Team 1
Bradley Burmeister, MD, Team 6
Andrew Campbell, MD, Team 1
Clarence Chou, MD, Team 1
Corey Cronrath, DO, Team 7
Samantha Crowley, Medical Student, Team 2
Donn Dexter, MD, Team 7
Mike Flesher, CEO, Team 2
Shabi Haider, MD, Team 1
Roger Kapoor, MD, Team 2
Don Lee, MD, Team 1
Elyssa Marmolejo, Medical Student, Team 1
Ken Pechman, MD, Team 6
Michaela Stevenson, MD, Team 1

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Kratom bill quietly introduced; appears to be on Assembly fast track

Despite the State of Wisconsin’s Controlled Substances Board’s urging earlier this year for the State Legislature not to remove the substance kratom from the state’s Controlled Substances Act (CSA) (see this March 16, 2023 Medigram article), a handful of state legislators have quietly introduced legislation to do just that. Assembly Bill 393 would remove kratom as a Schedule I drug and instead redefines “Kratom product” to mean “any part of a leaf of the Mitragyna speciosa plant and any product intended for human or animal consumption, including food, drink, chewing gum, and food supplements, made from any part of a leaf of the Mitragyna speciosa plant.” The bill completely removes the harmful substances in kratom from the CSA.

Kratom comes from the leaf of a southeast Asia evergreen tree and has opioid-like properties, including links to addiction and kratom-caused fatalities. Proponents of legalization (primarily the American Kratom Association) tout the substance as a “safe” pain reliever or as a medical treatment for opioid use disorder. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to “warn the public against the use of kratom for medical treatment” and says that the substance is “not appropriate for use as a dietary conventional supplement.”

In the most previous legislative session, WisMed and the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine (WISAM) joined forces to oppose legalization efforts. The testimony included a literature review published in the April 2021 edition of the WMJ about ongoing experiences with patients suffering from Kratom Use Disorder (KUD), and a case report from a 2016 WMJ on kratom addiction and withdrawal. The testimony also highlighted various FDA warnings about the drug and how U.S. Marshals have seized numerous shipments of dietary supplements containing kratom over the past several years due to false claims about the product’s safety and efficacy.

The controversies surrounding kratom have only grown since the failed legalization attempt in the 2020-21 legislative session, including a series of wrongful death lawsuits following a series of tragedies allegedly involving kratom.

What You Can Do
Just like last session, it is believed that a public hearing on the bill could be scheduled very quickly – as soon as next week, in fact – making it very difficult to get a physician expert to the State Capitol for in-person testimony. While those efforts continue, WisMed members can urge their State Assembly and State Senate representatives to oppose Assembly Bill 393. You can find the contact information for your representatives on the State Legislature home page and putting your voting address in the “Who Are My Legislators” box. Note that Representatives David Murphy (R-Greenville), Robert Brooks (R-Saukville), and John Macco (R-Ledgeview) as well as Senators Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) are currently sponsors the bill, so the appropriate message for those members would be to remove their names from the bill.  

Some key points to share:

• The active alkaloids (mitragynine and 7-OH Mitragynine) in kratom are Opioid-like compounds that can produce respiratory depression (especially in combination with often used pharmaceuticals like benzodiazepines, alcohol and other opioids).

• Addiction to kratom (and its alkaloids) has, and does, occur and treatment is no different than treatment for opioid use disorders.

• Kratom is generally unregulated and contamination with bacteria and mold has occurred leading to significant illness.

• Deaths have been reported with kratom use, especially in combination with other substances (including, but not limited to, gabapentin, pregabalin, benzodiazepines, carisoprodol, other opioids and alcohol). The true mortality associated with kratom is not clearly known because medical examiners do not routinely check for mitragynine or 7-OH Mitragynine as part of toxicology testing.

• There is no evidence that kratom (or its alkaloids) is an appropriate treatment for opioid use disorder. The AKA claims in this area are not based on science, but only anecdotal information.

Please let WisMed Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD know when you have contacted your representatives, and what feedback you received (if any). Also feel free to reach out with any questions.

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GROWing healthy communities

The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation works with local community partners and County Medical Societies like the La Crosse County Medical Society, which has a fund with the Foundation, to identify and support programs that work toward our mission to increase health equity and access in Wisconsin. One great example of that partnership is GROW, a La Crosse nonprofit with the mission to connect youth to healthy food and nature through hands-on garden-based experiences. Their vision is to be a regional leader in developing and delivering innovative garden-based programming that inspires youth, families and communities to grow, choose and prepare foods that nourishes minds and bodies. They are recent grant recipients for a grant to train their staff in trauma-informed strategies to enable them to develop the strategies into their curriculum and events. The organization is working together as a network of partners who are committed to forming a resilient and trauma-informed community that is connected, healthy and resilient.  

Goats, chickens, ponies, oh my. One example of how that training works in practice is at Deep Roots Community Farm. GROW, in coordination with Deep Roots Community Farm, offers a farm camp program where children are introduced to farm animals, planting, tending and harvesting fruits and vegetables. It is a great opportunity to further understand ecosystems and where their food comes from, but what sets it apart is the full inclusion of students awarded scholarships who are neurodivergent. In the program, these students were quickly immersed in the farm atmosphere jumping into planting and sampling fresh vegetables, herbs and edible flowers out of the garden to the hunt for the last bunch of currants. They were able to interact with all the farm animals, and the love and care was obvious with the animals’ patience with the kids.

In addition to the Farm Camp experience, GROW partners with ten area schools to provide preK-5th grade students with six garden lessons per school year, field trips to their greenhouse facility during the winter months, other open garden events and kids' cooking challenges. The garden lessons offer students several protective factors: nutrition education, connection to a trusted adult and focused time in nature. Research shows students exposed to multiple components of a garden-based intervention score higher on fruit and vegetable intake, self-efficacy and knowledge and lower on preference for unhealthy foods. Hands-on garden-based education increases students' interest in and willingness to try fresh produce. These experiences will impact the dietary choices made over a lifetime, which leads to a healthier community overall.

If you would like to learn more about starting your own County Medical Society Fund, please contact Elizabeth Ringle at elizabeth.ringle@wismed.org. Learn more about GROW by visiting growlacrosse.org. To learn more about the Foundation Grant program, please contact Jaime Craig at jaime.craig@wismed.org. Your gifts to the Foundation will go to support other important programs in Wisconsin providing direct support to people in need. Give to the Foundation here.

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When and why to schedule a life and disability insurance policy review with your agent

Many people think that once they have a life insurance or disability policy in place, they can file it away and forget about it. However, as your life changes, your needs often change as well. The policies that you took out when you were young, single and starting your career may not still cover your needs after you get married, buy a house, have children and start your dream job. As your life changes, it’s a good idea to review your policies.

One of the biggest changes that people often overlook throughout the years is updating the beneficiaries on their life insurance policies. When people are single, they often choose a parent or sibling as their beneficiary. It’s good to change your beneficiaries when you get married, get divorced or if your beneficiary passes away.

It’s also important to alert your insurance agent of contact information changes. If you move to a new home, city or state and don’t update your address you might miss important updates from your insurance company. I recently attempted to contact a client whose term life policy was coming to an end. The phone numbers we had on file were all unavailable, the email address was undeliverable and the letter I mailed to the address came back undeliverable.

The other thing to keep in mind is whether your disability policy is keeping up with your income. When you have a significant increase in income, it’s important to review your benefits to make sure you’re covered in the event of a serious injury or illness. If you only have enough disability insurance to cover half of your income, would you still be able to keep up with your bills and expenses if you’re not able to work for a long period of time?

Most people think that the only reason an insurance agent wants to talk to them is to sell them something, so they avoid scheduling a policy review. A good insurance agent will review with you where you are in your life and what your current needs are. When you’re younger, you may need to add coverage as you build your family and career. Meanwhile, you may need to reduce your insurance coverage as you move into retirement or change from term policies to permanent policies. As you approach retirement, it’s also a good time to start researching Medicare, long-term care and wealth transfer ideas. That’s what our Income Defense team at WisMed Assure is here to help you out with.

You may not feel that you need an insurance review every year, but don’t forget to review your policies when you have a significant change in your life.

Reach out to Lisa Koerner or the WisMed Assure team at insurance@wismedassure.org, complete this quick online form or call 608.442.3810 for help with your insurance needs.

WisMed Assure is the Wisconsin Medical Society’s insurance agency – profits earned support the mission of the Medical Society.

Originally posted August 14, 2023 in the Antidote

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as insurance advice related to your specific policy or situation. Please consult with a qualified insurance advisor or professional before making any policy decisions. Full disclaimer and contact information.

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New state licensing dashboard launched

Governor Tony Evers and the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced last week a new public-facing licensing dashboard as an effort to improve professional license processes at the state’s lead credentialing and licensing agency. The new online dashboard provides real-time information on state application timelines, capacity and the average number of days it is currently taking DSPS to review new application submissions, including any additional documentation sent by applicants or third-party education institutions, employers, testing centers and others.

View the press release for more information. 

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DSPS to open up license renewal on September 12

The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) is opening up license renewal on September 12, 2023. The status of license renewals can be checked on LicensE. If there is a hold, contact the Fund at 608.360.8001 or OCIIPFCF@wisconsin.gov. 

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