State Senate Health Committee advances Independent Nursing Bill with no amendments

Committee also recommends rejecting Dr. Sheldon Wasserman for another Medical Examining Board term

Despite calls from organized medicine and Governor Tony Evers to amend legislation that would allow certain advanced practice nurses to see patients independently, the State Senate Committee on Health voted 4-2 to advance Senate Bill 145 to the full Senate for further consideration without making any changes. The bill received a contentious public hearing in May, with a strongly unified voice of medicine calling for reasonable changes to the bill that would better protect patients and increase awareness of the credentials of someone providing care.

Voting to approve the bill: Committee Chair Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), Sen. Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point), Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), and Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere). Voting against passage: Sen. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) and Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee).

The vote means the bill is now eligible for a vote in the full State Senate. This also means that now is the time to contact your State Senator and ask them to oppose SB 145 until it is amended to provide needed protections for patients and Wisconsin’s health care system. See the May 25, 2023 Medigram story for a refresher on the needed amendments. You can find the contact info for your State Senator on the state Legislature’s home page under the “Who Are My Legislators?” section.

Other State Senate Health Committee Action:

The Senate Health committee also acted on other bills and appointments:

• It recommends rejecting the re-nomination of Sheldon Wasserman, MD, to the Medical Examining Board for another 4-year term on another 4-2 partisan vote. Dr. Wasserman, a former Democratic State Assembly representative, is currently the chair of the MEB and was nominated to remain on the board until July of 2027. When voting on Dr. Wasserman’s nomination four years ago, the senate approved the Governor’s selection on a 27-6 vote. It is unclear if Dr. Wasserman can remain on the MEB if a majority of the full senate agrees with the health committee’s recommendation. The vote was held via paper ballot, so no explanation was given for the rejection vote.
• It recommends approving the nomination of Kirsten Johnson to serve as secretary of the state’s Department of Health Services. That vote was 5-1.
• It recommends rejecting Wisconsin Medical Society-supported legislation that would reserve for physician use only certain terms used to refer to physician specialties, such as “anesthesiologist,” “radiologist” and the like. The bill is Senate Bill 143, and is connected to the independent nursing bill; both the house of medicine and Governor Evers requested that any bill allowing for independent nursing should include language accomplishing what SB 143 proposes. That vote was 2-4.

Contact Wisconsin Medical Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD with any questions.

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Complying with the new chaperone rule: resources available for members!

Working with the law firm von Briesen & Roper, the Wisconsin Medical Society has resources member physicians can use to comply with the new state Medical Examining Board administrative rule regarding chaperones. Under the rule, physicians must comply with their employer’s chaperone policies, or if self-employed establish chaperone policies and follow them. The new rule took effect October 1 and requires making a copy (or a summary) of the policy “available and accessible to all patients who are likely to receive a non-emergency exam of the breasts, genitals, or rectal area.” A violation of the new rule could cause the physician to face an unprofessional conduct sanction.

The rule does not specify any language that must be part of a chaperone policy – in fact, a policy could be that a physician does not provide chaperones.

Members should call the WisMed Legal Assistance Hotline at 608.442.3715 or email [email protected] to gain access to the materials, which provide examples for different scenarios regarding how a self-employed physician can craft their chaperone policy.

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Support advocacy – get in the game for the final quarter of GO PAC GO

The final quarter of GO PAC GO started on Sunday and wraps up this Saturday! Congratulations to our CEO, Mike Flesher, who is the MVP for quarter three.

Team 2 is holding on to a slight lead at $3,247 (with Q3 and Q4 contributions being matched by Dan Bennett, MD). Team 7 is defending their two-year championship streak and is currently in second place with $2,550 (with Q3 and Q4 contributions being matched by Donn Dexter, MD). A huge thanks to Dr. Bennett and Dr. Dexter for matching their team's contributions! Team 1 is now in third place.

Please take a minute and contribute here to WISMedPAC, our political action committee. Any amount will help keep your Medical Society’s advocacy efforts healthy and in the game!

Thank you for all you do for your patients. Advocacy is just another way make sure the medical profession is heard at the Capitol.

Please contact Heidi Green at 608.358.6116 with any questions and GO PAC GO!

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Make a difference: WisMed Membership Committee needs you!

As a Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) member you have the opportunity to participate in committees, councils and task forces that align with your passions. We encourage you to get involved and grow your leadership skills, build your resume, network with colleagues from around the state and contribute to WisMed’s mission to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin by supporting and strengthening physicians' ability to practice high-quality patient care in a changing environment.

 

Our Membership Committee is seeking additional members to continue to make WisMed a strong and vital organization. As a member of this committee, you will:

• help generate ideas to grow, retain and engage members
• provide insight into the needs of members
• address any membership and dues-related issues that may arise

The Membership Committee has bimonthly virtual meetings and is comprised of a wide variety of Wisconsin physicians – both in specialty and geography.

If you are interested in serving on the Membership Committee, please contact WisMed Chief Value and Engagement Officer Jim Lorence to learn more.

The Membership Committee is just one of the ways you can get involved. We have a wide variety of committees, councils and task forces. Complete the online form and let us know your interests!

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Western Wisconsin Medical Society: putting the fun in fundraising

A good time was had by all at a fun fundraiser hosted by the Western Wisconsin Medical Society, 45^th Parallel Distillery and Hy-Vee Eau Claire on Tuesday, October 3. Hy-Vee donated a portion of all food and drink sales and offered prize drawings to attendees. 45^th Parallel Distillery was available to talk about the science of being a full circle, locally produced distillery in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Western Wisconsin Medical Society held a raffle as well. All proceeds were donated to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation for programs to support youth education events, like the Wisconsin Science Festival and Prescription for a Healthy You, that teach kids about healthy habits and encourage them to consider careers in health and medicine. It was also a kick off to get local physicians excited about the many events planned in and around Eau Claire during the Wisconsin Science Festival, a statewide event taking place October 16-22.

Please feel free to reach out to the Foundation at [email protected] if your County Medical Society would like to plan a fun event to build camaraderie with your fellow physicians and help your community. Find some of the many ways to give by clicking here.

Also, if you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to complete the annual Foundation County Survey. The survey is your opportunity to share your concerns regarding community and patient health, workforce issues and your thoughts on organized medicine. Your responses will directly impact which community organizations are invited to apply for Foundation Grants and where the Foundation and Society focus energy to support the needs of our physician workforce.

Again, a huge thank you to the Western Wisconsin Medical Society. Together, we can make a difference to improve health equity and access in Wisconsin.

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Celebrate your colleagues – nominate a 2024 Physician Citizen of the Year

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) is accepting nominations for its 2024 Physician Citizen of the Year Award. First established by WisMed in 1982, the award recognizes and encourages Wisconsin physicians who volunteer their time and talents through civic and cultural activities—helping to improve the health and well-being of their communities.

Please nominate a friend, colleague or personal physician for this award. Click here to complete the nomination form. The nomination deadline is December 31, 2023.

Previous Physician Citizen of the Year recipients include Douglas Davis, MD of Oregon (2023), William Finlayson, MD of Milwaukee (2023), Adedayo Onitilo, MD, PhD, MSCR, FACP of Weston (2023), Michelle Clark-Frosting, MD of Alma Center (2021); Jose Ortiz, MD of Eau Claire (2020); Kenneth Gold, MD of Beloit (2019); Gloria Halverson, MD of Milwaukee (2018); Paul Durbin, MD of Racine and Tim Westlake, MD of Oconomowoc (2017); Michael Ostrov, MD, MS of Madison (2016); Steven Manson, MD of La Crosse (2015); and Gordon Haugan, MD of Green Bay (2014).

For more information, contact Stephanie Taylor.

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Med license renewal survey can help Wisconsin capture federal dollars

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) has moved their medical license renewal notification process online to License.wi.gov, and all physicians should have received an email earlier this week notifying them that their license is due for renewal. Physicians will need to be certain that their profile contains a valid email address to ensure they receive accurate and timely information from DSPS. Everyone should go to License.wi.gov to renew.

The email from DSPS also includes an optional survey. While you may be tempted to skip it, information gained can help the state qualify for additional federal funding that can help Wisconsin patients. Potential benefits that could result from survey outcomes include:

• CMS Medicare reimbursement bonus payments
• Wisconsin Medicaid reimbursement bonus payments for physicians
• National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment options to retain and recruit medical professionals
• Potential HPSA benefits allowing a clinic to attain physicians using a J1 Visa Waiver fulfilling a 3-year commitment to the employer

Online renewals are due by October 31, 2023. Anyone who needs assistance with their renewal should go to License.wi.gov and click “request support” in the navigation menu. This creates a support ticket that gets funneled into the department work queue, and they are currently responding to tickets within a few days.

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It’s probably time to review your life insurance

Most of us don’t think about our life insurance because it’s already set up through our employer, parents, bank or other sources. But, have you really investigated how life insurance works? Is term insurance the bestpurchase or should you look at long term cost averaging?

Over the years, I’ve seen many clients who are over 60 years old try to figure out what to do now that their term insurance is coming to an end and want to “just extend it.” When the option of paying dramatically increasing premiums doesn’t look very good for the budget, what to do is a significant concern.

So, what are the options other than term insurance at a young age? Consider a universal life or whole life policy. The costs are averaged over your lifetime instead of just a specified number of years. This idea takes the surprises out of trying to find coverage at an older age or at a time when your health has changed and you’re no longer eligible for coverage. Often doing a combination of both a term and universal/whole life makes sense if you’re looking to save more money in the long run.

To discuss your options, contact Mary Krueger at 715.760.1350 or [email protected].

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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