Monday Morning Report

"To act on the belief that we possess the knowledge and the power which enable us to shape the processes of society entirely to our liking, knowledge which in fact we do not possess, is likely to make us do much harm" - Friedrich August von Hayek

Over the last two weeks, I visited the Sarasota County, Charlotte County and Alachua County Medical Societies. As always, it was a pleasure to speak with the doctors of our state and discuss a common theme, which is access to care. Each time I have the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing our profession, I am further strengthened in the FMA's resolve to advance the interests of Florida's physicians and their practices.

One of the ways we are doing this is by mounting a strong battle against unfair business practices and tactics used by managed care organizations to reduce physician reimbursement with the proposal of SB 1012. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, requires managed care companies to accept a valid assignment of benefits and pay physicians directly; reduces the "look back" period where managed care companies can demand repayment; and prohibits the use of "silent PPOs." It's House companion, HB 405, is sponsored by Rep. Bill Galvano.

Collectively, these measures will allow physicians and their staff to spend less time on paper work and more time on patient care by reducing the administrative hassles that physicians face every day from the managed care industry. SB 1012 will also help correct the imbalance of power that exists between physicians and the insurance industry. It is important to note: This bill does NOT have a negative fiscal impact on the state of Florida. Already, this bill has made it successfully through several committees due to the strong leadership of our bill sponsors and the tireless lobbying efforts of our FMA staff and physicians. The next stop for SB 1012 will be in the Senate's Committee on Health Regulation, chaired by Sen. Jeff Atwater, on Wednesday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. If you have a relationship with one of the Senators that serve on this committee (click here to view this list), I strongly encourage you to contact them over the next few days and ask them to vote in favor of SB 1012.

Among the bills we are fighting mightily against includes legislation that prohibits a physician's right to self-insure or "go bare." Bills such as these will make it more difficult to keep and attract physicians to our state. Rest assured that I, and your FMA staff, are watching and acting against any legislation that is contrary to your interests. Watch for more information on this bill and other challenges in Dr. Machado's next Council on Legislation report.

On Wednesday evening, along with Tim Stapleton and Jeff Scott, I met with State Governmental Affairs Directors from the pharmaceutical industry. This forum provided an opportunity to discuss legislative and regulatory issues of mutual concern. One common area of agreement we found was to continue to support measures that preserve the doctor-patient relationship and keep the managed care industry from dictating medical decisions. We also discussed the development of a Health Policy Center within the FMA, which would provide us with much needed data to help us advocate our public policy agenda. This meeting is another example of the FMA's ongoing effort to create strategic alliances and partnerships with other stakeholders in the health care arena.

On Thursday, the Board of Governors met by Conference call to discuss our progress in Tallahassee as well as events in Washington, DC. We are fortunate to have a Board that is very much engaged in the activities of the Association. I appreciate the dedication and commitment of our physician leadership."

This week, I'll be in Tallahassee along with the FMA's President-Elect, Dr. Steven R. West to continue in our lobbying efforts. I'll also be preparing for our trip the following week to Washington, DC to participate in the American Medical Association's National Advocacy Conference. Considering recent events, the timing of this conference is most fortuitous. Updates from the legislative front and more will follow soon.

The national Center for Policy Analysis recently published an update of the "Massachusetts Plan" to insure every state resident. You can access it by clicking here.

January 31, 2008 deadline, Florida physicians were required to complete the Physician Workforce Survey for the first time during the licensure renewal process. Those physicians applying for renewal before January 31, 2009 will be required to complete the survey at that time. The results of this survey are now being processed and we have been told that they will be available in April. If you would like to see a copy of the survey questions, click here.