Monday Morning Report

"We have surmounted all the perils and endured all the agonies of the past. We shall provide against and thus prevail over the dangers and problems of the future, withhold no sacrifice, grudge no toil, seek no sordid gain, fear no foe. All will be well. We have, I believe, within us the life-strength and guiding light by which the tormented world around us may find the harbor of safety, after a storm-beaten voyage." - Winston Churchill

Churchill's quote remains a source of inspiration. Although we are not fighting the calamity of a World War, a war we are fighting, nonetheless. It is a war of competing ideas on the best way to manage and finance the American health care system. Caring for patients – the art and science of medicine – remains, to a large degree, a pleasure. As health care delivery continues to evolve, I must ask myself, how long will it remain so? Furthermore, the public's expectations remain that the most modern testing and treatments will be available, 24/7; that it will improve or, at least, stabilize any condition; that it will cost very little; and that if anything goes wrong, it will be someone else's fault and all plaintiffs will be richly compensated.

We can and will prevail if we are prepared to "withhold no sacrifice, grudge no toil, seek no sordid gain, fear no foe." If we are not willing to do these things, our independent role as the patient advocate will surely diminish. The public will turn to "Big" for answers and you can bet that, when "Big" fails to deliver, they will make certain that someone else will be blamed. "Big" government, "Big" insurance, "Big" trial bar – the triumvirate behind the curtain controlling all – and most certainly controlling you.

While these challenges may seem insurmountable, be encouraged that your FMA can make a difference. We understand when we confront "Big," we must do so from a position of strength. Already, this approach has proven successful. This Legislative Session we successfully took on the full force of "Big" insurance on your behalf and won a difficult battle. Click HERE to read more about SB 1012 and its ramifications on your practice. There are more battles ahead.

We are not going to rest on our legislative laurels. While our victories are significant, we have much more to do. To continue to fight on the behalf of Florida's physicians, we must stay organized, we must stand together and we must stay strong as we forge ahead. There is no better advocate for physicians in our state than the FMA. We understand the problems better than most and we are willing to participate in the solutions. But who is else is willing to participate in this cause?

Do we want and need to increase Medicaid physician reimbursement to at least Medicare levels? The beneficiaries – all physicians, and especially those in primary care, – must join the FMA, and join with the FMA, if we are to achieve this.

Do we want and need increased liability protection for our emergency departments? All physicians – especially emergency room physicians and those who support them in this community resource – must join the FMA, and join with the FMA, if we are to win this battle.

Do we want more freedom, more choices, more transparency, more accountability in health care delivery? Again, all physicians in our state must join the FMA, and join with the FMA, if we are to make this a reality.

Do we want to make Florida an attractive place to practice medicine so that we can meet our state's future manpower needs? The answer to this is simple: every physician in Florida should join the FMA and join with the FMA.

Whether you practice as an individual, small or large group, hospital or clinic and participate in your county and specialty societies, encourage your colleagues to join and join with the Florida Medical Association – and the FMA's political activities – and help us together provide a safe harbor for our profession and the patients we serve. Only then will all be well.

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Compared to other states, where does Florida's tort system rank? As reported in a recent newsletter by Doctors for Medical Liability Reform:

"A new study by the Pacific Research Institute, US Tort Liability Index: 2008 Report, measures the best and worst tort systems in America. In the report, the authors examine evidence provided by top economists and legal scholars on the benefits of tort reform in peoples' lives and conclude that, among other things, reform improves health care and health care access. The report also discusses the cost of defensive medicine – most of which is prompted by medical liability concerns – which has now reached the astounding total of $163 billion a year. This is the sum of the direct costs of defensive medicine, estimated to be $124 billion a year by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, and PRI's own estimate of $39 billion indirect costs from lost productivity due to reduced access to health care attributable to defensive medicine. According to PRI, increased health-care costs brought on by defensive medicine have also added some 3.4 million Americans to the rolls of the uninsured. You can read the full study HERE."

The Joint Commission's MS.1.20 Implementation Task Force on hospital staff bylaws has been slowed by "issues raised by the member hospitals of the American Hospital Association and the Federation of Hospitals, among others." For further information check out The Joint Commission's website and/or contact Lynn Berry. Make sure that your hospital staff is staying on top of these "issues."

The Board of Governors of your Florida Medical Association and a number of the FMA's Councils and Committees are meeting this coming weekend in Coral Gables. All FMA members are welcome to attend and participate. Specific information on this meeting may be found by clicking HERE.