APRN bill faces bipartisan opposition, but Assembly still advances bill to Governor

It was another strange week for legislation that would allow certain advanced practice nurses (APRN) to diagnose and treat patients independently in Wisconsin.

While a scheduled vote on the legislation (SB 145/AB 154) was cancelled last week due to lack of support for the bill on the 16-member Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care (11 GOP members and 5 DEM members), the committee rescheduled the vote for January 23 (on Doctor Day, ironically). Ranking Democratic member Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) on January 16 introduced an amendment to AB 154 that would have made changes the Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) and numerous other physician groups have requested to better protect the public’s safety and awareness of who is providing their care. Governor Tony Evers has also made it clear that the amendment would be necessary if he was going to sign the bill into law.

Rather than follow the usual committee procedure and allow discussion and votes on amendments offered for bills on the agenda, committee chair Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) refused requests for a vote on Rep. Subeck’s amendment. Capitol insiders believe that a majority of committee members supported that amendment, which would have been embarrassing to the Senate lead author, Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), who vehemently opposes any changes to his bill and was present for the vote. The committee then passed the Senate bill out of committee on an 8-8 vote (Reps. Donna Rozar [R-Marshfield], Nancy VanderMeer [R-Tomah] and Barb Dittrich [R-Oconomowoc] joining all five Democratic members in voting against passage).

While the bill had no official recommendation from the committee due to the tie vote, Assembly Republican leadership decided to place both companion bills on today’s (January 25) full floor session calendar. Earlier today the Assembly passed SB 145 by voice vote – meaning the legislation will soon be on its way to the Governor’s desk for final action. While nothing is certain, it is expected that Gov. Evers will look negatively on the bill once again for reasons similar to his veto last biennium.  

Physician advocacy on this bill has been important once again this session, enabling bipartisan opposition to an inadequate bill. Stay tuned to future Medigram editions for updates on any actions taken on SB 145/AB 154.

Contact WisMed’s Mark Grapentine, JD for more information. 

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Wisconsin Doctor Day event delivers timely advocacy

The 11th annual Wisconsin Doctor Day saw hundreds of physicians from around the state come to Madison for an important and timely day of advocacy in the state Capitol. The stream of white coats into the Capitol was matched only by the snowfall, which made travel in the southern part of the state dicey, so the great turnout truly showed physicians’ dedication to sharing the voice of medicine with their elected officials.

Orientation and Breakout Sessions
The morning started with an orientation for first-time Doctor Day attendees. A lively panel of physicians and chiefs of staff from legislative leadership offices shared the history of Doctor Day, its multi-specialty collaboration on advocacy and tips for how to best advocate during a legislative visit.

Two breakout sessions followed on specific topics: how to organize physicians to advocate on common areas of interest, and an exploration of artificial intelligence: how it can be harnessed for patients’ benefit while maintaining ethical oversight. Both sessions were well-attended, with the only disappointment heard from physicians being that they couldn’t join both.

Legislative Panel and Priority Policy Briefing
A wide-ranging discussion among legislative leaders from both the State Assembly and State Senate proved energetic and provocative. WisPolitics.com editor J.R. Ross moderated the panel, which included Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine), Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) and Co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam). Topics ranged from the latest related to the APRN legislation, “medical” cannabis, abortion as both policy and political issues and developments on the creation of new legislative maps for the November 2024 elections. It was a great opportunity for physicians to ask questions of this powerful panel.

The remainder of the morning was spent over a working lunch, digging into the priority issues for Capitol visits: changes needed to make an independent nursing bill acceptable and urging policymakers to extend post-partum coverage for new moms in the Medicaid program to one year. Physicians had ample time to ask lobbyists for physician associations about various aspects of the two issues, as well as hear advice on effective talking points and how to respond to possible counterarguments.

Physician advocates then took a short (though a bit icy) walk to the Capitol, first gathering for a group photo in the building’s majestic rotunda, before meeting with their elected representatives. While the event was certainly busy, it was efficient; preliminary feedback from attendees has been extremely positive.

Doctor Day 2024 was timed to match the closing weeks of the 2023-24 state legislative biennium. Doctor Day 2025 will be scheduled for a similarly strategic date in the first quarter of the 2025-26 biennium. Stay tuned to Medigram and other physician group news sources to find out when that date is announced!

For more information, contact WisMed’s Mark Grapentine, JD or Heidi Green. 

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Great connections and specialty exploration at Operation: Education

For more than 20 years the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) has been thrilled to partner with the Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association and MCW/Marquette Alumni Association to bring students and physicians together for a fun night of discussing what it’s like to practice particular specialties and for a little friendly competition playing the game Operation. Physicians and students braved the bitter cold and full schedules for another successful year of physicians sharing a glimpse of what to expect in a day in the life with students while inspiring them to pursue that specialty.

A huge thanks to our partners in presenting this event, Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association and MCW/Marquette Alumni Association. It could not happen without the many specialists who volunteered, including Wisconsin Medical Society President, Don Lee, MD, who attended both events on back-to-back nights in Madison and Milwaukee.

A special thank you to our sponsors:

• Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians
• Wisconsin Chapter - American College of Cardiology
• Wisconsin Psychiatric Association
• Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine

We would also like to thank the organizations and businesses that donated prizes:

• Wisconsin Medical Society
• WisMed Assure
• Matthews MCW Bookstore
• University Book Store
• Best Place At the Historic Pabst Brewery
• ComedySportz
• Hong Kong Cafe
• Rocket Baby Bakery
• The Cheesecake Factory

If you are interested in volunteering with the Foundation or donating prizes for events like this, please email [email protected]. 

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New WISMedPAC board confirmed

The Wisconsin Medical Society’s (WisMed) board confirmed the WISMedPAC board nominees on Saturday and there are four new members for 2024.

New board members include Frederick Freitag, DO, Katheryn Hope-Wilkinson, MD, and medical students Tessa Meuer (University of Wisconsin) and Carlene Kranjac (Medical College of Wisconsin).

These new board members join Dan Bennett, MD, Paul Wertsch, MD, Michael Becker, MD, Brad Burmeister, MD, Andrew Campbell, MD, Corey Cronrath, DO, Shabi Haider, MD, Cynthia Hart, MD, Roger Kapoor, MD, Don Lee, MD, Ken Pechman, MD, and Micaela Stevenson, MD – all experienced members of the WISMedPAC board.

Congratulations to all! We’re thrilled to have new members and happy to again include two medical students.

A huge thank you to Clarence Chou, MD, and Donn Dexter, MD, who both stepped off the board after many years of service and dedication to political advocacy. We are grateful for their insight, intellect and wisdom. Both will continue their vigorous political efforts on behalf of medicine.

The WISMedPAC board meets quarterly. To learn more about WISMedPAC or WISMedDIRECT, click here or contact Heidi Green at 608.442.3720.

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Discounted on-demand DEA CME

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) has partnered with the Clinical Education Alliance to offer an 8-hour DEA MATE Act training course, Controlled Substance Prescribing and Substance Use Disorders: Comprehensive Education to Improve Quality of Care. Ensure your DEA certificate compliance with this comprehensive course on controlled substance prescribing. Developed in collaboration with leading experts, this course covers essential topics such as DEA regulations, reimbursement codes for substance use disorder intervention, substance use disorders, pain management and much more.

Learn at your own pace with this self-guided on-demand course. Earn course credits, including AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, AANP, AAPA, AAFP, COPE CE, ADA CERP, this also qualifies for MOC and MIPS. Visit the DEA Compliant 8-Hour Substance Use Disorders Resource Center for more information and to register. If you are a WisMed member, use discount code wismed100 to save $100. Non-members can use discount code wismed50 to receive a $50 discount.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

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Married filing joint or separate for 2023

Should you and your spouse file taxes jointly or separately for 2023? Physicians with federal student loans usually face this question each year due to the impact their filing status has on loan payments.

Community Property States

Wisconsin is unique compared to our neighboring states. As a community property state (a.k.a. marital property state) spouses filing separately generally add up the total household income, tax withholding and deductions then split them 50/50 between each spouse’s separate tax return using IRS Form 8958. In common law states like Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa, each spouse reports their own income, withholding and deductions. There is some nuance to this as well. In Wisconsin, spouses can have individual income and property besides the community assets and income they share with their spouse. Individual property is usually created by inheritance, pre- or post- nuptial agreement or receipt of gift and is not reported on the spouse’s tax return.

Student Loan Case Study

Student loan payments may be impacted by the borrower’s tax filing status if they are using one of the income-driven repayment plans. The lower the income on the tax return, the lower the student loan payment and vice versa. Let’s look at an example case. A married physician with two children earning $270,000 has $300,000 of graduate student loans at 6%. The spouse works in the home caring for their two children and does not have earnings or student loans.

What’s the catch?

When filing separate returns, some tax benefits are reduced or not available to married couples unless they file a joint return. They include:

• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is a tax break for low to moderate income workers.
• Education credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits) for parents with children in college or a taxpayer’s own education expenses.
• Child adoption exclusion or credit for those with related adoption expenses.
• Child and dependent care credit for working parents.
• IRA deduction (although this won’t matter if you use the backdoor Roth IRA strategy.)

Calculate your loan payment and tax

Since everyone’s tax and loan situation is different, running the numbers as married filing joint versus separate for student loans and your tax return is the best way to see the impact. It’s a bit of work, but it can save tens of thousands of dollars!

For personalized help with your financial plan, please contact Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® 608.442.3750. 

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor or tax professional before making any financial decisions.

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WisMed members save on office supplies, tech and more with WisMed Perks

Lean into winter with a Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) beanie, tumbler or fleece. Check out the new items in our apparel store here. Additionally, WisMed members can access vendor discounts on a variety of products and services, including technology, travel and more through WisMed Perks. Below are a few examples.

Office Supplies

Look to your ODP Business Solutions™ Savings Program for solutions to help your business succeed and grow – and leverage your WisMed pricing to save on featured products. Shop now here.

Tech and Electronics

Gifting season is here! Bring smiles with the best tech gifts from Lenovo’s Yoga, Legion, Tablets and IdeaPad laptops to headphones, webcams, portable speakers and more. Click here to learn more or if you need assistance with purchases, call 1.800.426.7235 (M-F: 8 am – 8 pm, Sat: 8 am – 5 pm). Be sure to check the website often – special offers change frequently.

Travel Savings Center

WisMed members have access to exclusive travel savings from car rentals, hotels, and ticketing discounts to condos, villas, cruises, guided tours and group travel packages. Find exclusive savings from brands like Avis and Budget, Wyndham, Collette and member-exclusive hotel discount aggregators.

Check back often for new providers and promotions! Whether you simply want to get from here to there or make your dream vacation a reality, WisMed members have all the tools right at your fingertips. Learn more here.

Car rental deals with Avis and Budget

Make the most of your summer travel plans with this limited-time offer on car rentals. Through July 31, WisMed members that spend at least $175 when booking a minimum consecutive three-day rental with Avis or Budget will save on base rates. Terms apply.

To make a reservation with Avis, click here and use your Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number A672086.

To book with Budget, click here and use your Budget Customer Discount (BCD) number B079592. 

Hotel Discounts

Planning your summer travel? Hotel Engine is a free and exclusive members-only hotel booking platform that connects WisMed members to deeply discounted hotel rates. Take advantage of an average of 26% off public rates at more than 150K+ hotels; no contracts, annual fees, or minimum spends; and superior 24/7, U.S.-based customer support. Sign up for free at members.hotelengine.com/join/wismed101.

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