State Senate wraps up general session (probably)

While the state legislative calendar technically allows it to return for further general session business, the Wisconsin State Senate adjourned March 12 for what is likely the final time in the 2023-24 legislative biennium. (See this February 29 Medigram story on what was likely the State Assembly’s final general business day.) Later this year the Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) will publish a summary of relevant bills and other advocacy efforts related to state government (see last session’s summary here). Meanwhile, here are some items of note from the senate’s March 12 session:

Worker’s Compensation Fee Schedule - Rejected

WisMed joined with other health care groups strongly opposing a bill that would create an artificial fee schedule for worker’s compensation-related services. Fortunately, the senate agreed with their counterparts in the State Assembly, taking no action on that legislation, Assembly Bill 1074. Instead, the senate passed Assembly Bill 1073 – a bill making various changes to the state’s worker’s compensation-related statues unrelated to physician and other health care fees. This marks the third time the state legislature has soundly rejected a health care fee schedule scheme.

State Medical Examining Board Members – Confirmed (some, anyway)

The State Senate’s “advice and consent” role regarding gubernatorial appointments to various state boards this session has continued to garner some controversy. While some appointments were rejected as part of the March 12 session day, the senate confirmed four pending nominations to the State Medical Examining Board (MEB) (although not unanimously – historically the norm, but not the case this session). The senate confirmed Steven Leuthner, MD, (whom Governor Tony Evers nominated to replace former MEB Chair Sheldon Wasserman, MD) and public members Carmen Lerma, Stephanie Hilton and Milton Bond, Jr.

The Senate did not act on four other pending appointments, although they are allowed to continue their service on the MEB. They are MEB Chair Clarence Chou, MD; Vice Chair Sumeet Goel, DO; Kris Ferguson, MD; and Emily Yu, MD. No reasons were given why their appointments were not put on the session calendar; the MEB’s involvement in the petition to the Dane County Circuit Court to clarify the status of the 1849 abortion law seems a likely factor.

Reminder

There is still time to contact Governor Tony Evers and ask him to veto Senate Bill 145, the independent nursing bill. A quick email to [email protected] requesting the action is all that’s needed (and see the February 29 story for more information)  Make your voice heard!

Contact Wisconsin Medical Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information. 

Back to top

Health & Harmony: Corina Norrbom, MD, to receive Superhero of Medicine Award; education conference to explore burnout, well-being

Health & Harmony, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (WisMed) medical education, Foundation fundraiser and annual business meeting, will be held April 5 and 6 at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The education conference will focus on the importance of physician wellness and the Foundation event will celebrate outstanding health professionals, the inauguration of the WisMed President and musical entertainment.

Plan your weekend for Health & Harmony, the WisMed Annual Event:

• Foundation Fundraising Event - April 5, 5 p.m.
• Medical Education Conference - April 6, 8 a.m.
• Annual Business Meeting - April 6, 12:15 p.m.

Register here for all or part of the Annual Event for just $150!

Foundation to present Superhero of Medicine Award to Corina Norrbom at Health & Harmony

The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation will honor Corina Norrbom, MD, with the Superhero of Medicine Award during its annual Health & Harmony event in Madison on April 5, 2024. The Superhero of Medicine Award is presented annually to recognize physicians who go above and beyond the call of duty to improve the health of their community. Dr. Norrbom’s commitment to serving as a leader in the advancement of health equity and her efforts for continuous improvement of medical education and health access are just a few examples of what make her a Superhero of Medicine.

Dr. Norrbom is an assistant professor with Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) - Central Wisconsin, and a family medicine physician at Aspirus Health. She works with a variety of organizations, including the Hmong and Hispanic Outreach Network, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, LENA Start, Physicians in the Community, Toward One Wisconsin, United Way of Marathon County and the Marathon County Health Department to improve access to health care for patients in her community. She is also recognized for her demonstrated dedication to improving medical education in Wisconsin.

“Dr. Norrbom is very deserving of this award and does an exceptional job representing the entire Aspirus Health organization as she lives out our mission of healing people, promoting health and strengthening our communities,” said Ridhwi Mukerji, MD, Regional Medical Director for Aspirus Health.

Dr. Norrbom expressed her appreciation to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation and her colleagues by stating, "I feel so privileged to work collaboratively with wonderful people from many cultural and professional backgrounds who are dedicated to improving the health of individuals and their communities. There is so much power in addressing social and structural determinants of health, and to do that, we need to listen, build meaningful relationships, find what connects us and be brave enough to move forward together."

This award comes with a donation made in honor of the recipient to the non-profit of their choice. The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation is pleased to present a donation in Dr. Norrbom’s honor to the Wausau Free Clinic, a free medical clinic that offers no-charge primary care services to low income, uninsured residents of the area.

“It has been our incredible privilege to work alongside Dr. Norrbom these past several years, addressing the unmet health care needs of poor, minority, immigrant, uninsured and other underserved residents of our area. In addition, we have partnered with Dr. Norrbom to provide a rich and meaningful hands-on experience for her MCW medical students. Dr. Norrbom is a tireless advocate for informed public health policy and addressing the needs of marginalized populations. She is truly an inspiration,” Jeffrey W. Todd, Manager of the Wausau Free Clinic, shared.

Health & Harmony education conference to explore burnout, well-being

The Health & Harmony Education Conference will offer up to 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and focus on the importance of physician wellness with breakout sessions to customize your learning experience.

Do organizations contribute to burnout? Register to find out as Robert Leschke, MD, CPCC, explores The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Contribute to Individual Burnout. Dr. Leschke is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Physician with almost 30 years of clinical experience. He is also a CTI trained Certified Professional Co-Active Life Coach. His areas of expertise include conflict management, values-driven living, career development and new ways to think about leadership. Through individual peer coaching, coursework, workshops and lectures, he works with health care professionals and organizations throughout the country to create environments where people can thrive.

Do compassion and purpose play a role in well-being? Join the session of Beth A. Lown, MD, FACH, or Sonal Chandratre, MD, CPE, CPHQ, to find out.

Dr. Lown, Medical Officer of The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, will present Organizational Compassion: Healing Suffering and Promoting Wellbeing. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lown leads the Schwartz Center through leadership and content development. With her team and collaborators, she creates, implements, improves and evaluates new initiatives, courses and programs, convenes conferences and does research on compassion-related topics and measures. She works with national organizations to advocate for resources to support the mental health and well-being of the health care workforce. She consults and speaks locally, nationally and internationally about compassion, well-being, social support and organizational and systems change.

Dr. Chandratre, Chief Medical Officer at Ascension Saint Elizabeth Hospital and Ascension Calumet Hospital, will present Sharing Purpose and Passion to Beat Burnout. Dr. Chandratre is a Pediatric Endocrinologist by background, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology and has a strong leadership background in health care and medical education. She has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals on pediatric endocrinology, medical education and health care. She has represented physicians in panel discussions, newspapers, radio, television and has delivered wellness workshops to health care professionals at various national conferences.

Click here to view the full Education Conference details. We hope to see you there!

Purchase an Education Conference ticket for just $150 and get one free Foundation event ticket. Register here for part or all of the Health & Harmony event.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Click here for more details!

Back to top

District 7 Annual Meeting, Go PAC Go trophy presented

Thank you to everyone who attended the Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) District 7 Annual Meeting on March 12, hosted by the Western Wisconsin Medical Society in Eau Claire! Heidi Green, WisMed Director of Federal Relations and Political Giving, presented Tom Joles, MD, with the 2023 Go PAC Go trophy, as the physicians of District 7 led the state in contributions to WISMedPAC and WISMedDIRECT during last fall’s competition. Dr. Joles was team captain for the district, which took the title for the third straight year.

Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO David Minor updated the group on the efforts of the special task force created in response to the exit of HSHS and Prevea from the area. The closures include Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls and 17 Prevea medical clinics. Prevea’s family residency program is also affected, with 11 residents displaced to other programs in the state. All 11 residents have been placed successfully, and the Western Wisconsin Medical Society voted to help these residents with their unanticipated costs of moving, rent, et cetera.

Wisconsin Medical Society district and section annual meetings are underway. These meetings are intended to provide information about Wisconsin Medical Society activities, discuss ideas for potential policy proposals to submit via WisMed's PolicyLink and conduct any district/section business, including the determination of representation on the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. Click here to find details for your district/section meeting. 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 5 and 6 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

Plan your weekend for Health & Harmony, the WisMed Annual Event:

• Foundation Fundraising Event - April 5, 5 p.m.
• Medical Education Conference - April 6, 8 a.m.
• Annual Business Meeting - April 6, 12:15 p.m.

Register here for all or part of the Annual Event for just $150!

Back to top

Should I convert my term life insurance policy?

It might be time to evaluate your life insurance needs to determine whether you have the right coverage and enough coverage to protect your loved ones. The most common form of life insurance protection is term life, and a planning tool that often gets overlooked is the potential to convert your term life insurance coverage to some form of permanent life insurance, without any medical underwriting requirement. Unlike term insurance which either disappears or substantially increases in cost at the end of each term, permanent life insurance provides you with the peace of mind of knowing that it will be there for as long as you pay the premiums.

As with so many WisMed Assure clients, Tom Strangstalien is the trusted insurance advisor for Katie, John and their family (names changed to protect confidentiality). One day Tom received a call from Katie because John’s mother, Anna, had suffered a severe and debilitating stroke. Anna and her husband had purchased a $1,000,000 term life policy from an agent several years ago to provide protection for their family. Katie indicated that in doing research into Anna’s finances she discovered that the term policy was about to expire. She asked if Tom could look into the coverage to make sure it could be in place for Anna’s lifetime as she was now completely uninsurable. Upon doing so, Tom unfortunately discovered that the conversion option had expired a few years ago. Furthermore, the policy was not guaranteed renewable and was about to expire within a year. Anna passed away a couple of years later and rather than receiving the intended $1,000,000 income-tax-free benefit, they received nothing. Had the policy been converted to a permanent plan during the allowed timeframe, the insurance benefit would have been available as desired for the family.

This is just one example of why you should at least explore your term life conversion options. You can consider whole life, universal life or even index universal life coverage if offered by the insurance company. These policies will be more expensive but have a cash component that can be utilized if the need for protection diminishes in the future. So why else would you consider converting your policy?

Do you want to provide a legacy for your family and loved ones in the form of an income-tax-free benefit? Perhaps your estate planning needs include a life insurance policy or some charitable planning by leaving a legacy to a treasured institution, scholarship fund or community entity? This type of planning has the potential of also providing a significant tax benefit. No matter what your future holds, if your policy contains a current conversion privilege, you can make the change, regardless of our current health or health history.

Early in his career as a physician, Brad (pseudonym for privacy) had purchased an inexpensive term life policy in the amount of $5,000,000. Brad experienced a significant change in health and contacted Tom to determine what options may exist for life insurance protection, since leaving an income-tax-free gift to his family was extremely important to him. He was now uninsurable, however his term life insurance policy did contain a conversion option. The WisMed Assure team did extensive planning, and though they did reduce the life insurance amount somewhat, they were able to provide a whole life policy that would be paid up requiring no further premium payments at retirement. Brad is so thankful that the coverage will be guaranteed for his family as he had originally planned!

Now is the perfect time to research your life insurance coverage and your options. This is exactly what the WisMed Assure team does! They are dedicated experts with allegiance solely to you and your loved ones. Please reach out to WisMed Assure with no expectations or obligations and take care of your life insurance planning, especially to determine if converting your current term life policies makes sense in your life.

Contact the WisMed Assure team at [email protected], complete this quick online form or call 608.442.3810.

Originally published December 6, 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.

Back to top

Part A and Part B Providers impacted by the Change Healthcare/Optum payment disruption may be eligible for payment programs

Part A and Part B Providers experiencing cash flow problems related to the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD), which began on February 21, 2024, may be eligible for Accelerated and Advance Payments (AAP). AAP is intended to provide necessary funds to Part A and B providers, respectively, when there is a disruption in Medicare claims submission and/or claims processing. The expansion of the AAP is only for the duration of the claims processing disruptions associated with this incident. Click here to read the fact sheet from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Click here for key links and resources to support health care professionals, additionally, the American Medical Association has compiled updates here.

As a result of the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption, most providers supported by this vendor are eligible to request up to 100% of the Medicare payment amount for a 30-day period. Requests must be submitted on the National Government Services Request for Accelerated/Advance Payment Form. Click here for the payment steps.

At this time, Periodic Interim Payment (PIP) providers are not eligible to receive CHOPD accelerated payments. CMS will monitor the incident closely and will determine whether these payment policies need to be modified as circumstances warrant.

Please review the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) Accelerated Payments to Part A Providers and Advance Payments to Part B Suppliers Fact Sheet for eligibility information.

National Government Services (NGS), Inc. is offering open forum sessions to assist impacted providers and staff members through this process and address any questions you have about the AAP program. Providers impacted by this payment disruption are encouraged to attend.

Let’s Chat Open Forum: Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption Accelerated/Advance Payment Program

March 20, 2024, 9:00 am - 10:00 am  |  REGISTER                            

March 21, 2024, 10:00 am - 11:00 am  |  REGISTER

Back to top

Legal services for WisMed members

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) has proudly partnered with the law firm von Briesen & Roper, s.c. This partnership brings you an expansion of benefits including:

• A no charge one-hour consultation valued at $500
• Reduced rates on follow-up work valued at a savings of approximately $100 per hour
• WisMed Legal Assist Hotline at 608.442.3715 or [email protected]

WisMed members can seek consultation on topics such as regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, starting or expanding a business, contract questions, employment law concerns and more.

To learn more about services and von Briesen & Roper, sc., click here.

Back to top