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November 26, 2007

"...without informed input from doctors- such people, such forces will write their own truths. Without informed input from doctors, they will define quality. Without informed input from doctors, they will define compassion. Without informed input from doctors, they will define fairness. Without informed input from doctors, they will define performance. Without informed input from doctors, they will define results--good and bad.
Without informed input from doctors, they will define 'doctor' and the
'practice of medicine'..."

Dan R. Higgins MD, President
Palm Beach County Medical Society
Inaugural address, 11/17/07
(Click here to read entire text.)

Good Morning,

I hope that you and your family had a restful Thanksgiving. The holiday week allowed me an opportunity to catch up on a few things.

On Monday, I addressed my local Rotary Club on health care issues. One attendee acknowledged the beneficence of the free market in all aspects of our economy, although he did not believe it was "OK for doctors." That is the kind of thinking we are up against. The FLAMPAC Executive Committee held a conference call that evening to discuss the outlook and its plans for the coming election year. If you see the value in electing more pro-medicine candidates, and I hope that you agree we need more, join FLAMPAC and the MD 1000 Club now (http://www.flampac.org/join.asp).

On Wednesday, I was interviewed by Herrle Communications, who has been retained to assist us with marketing the FMA to the public and our members. They will soon begin to survey physicians in Florida to gain a better understanding of their views, wants and needs. If you are called upon to participate, this is an ideal time to make your desires known.

FMA staff recently visited Brevard County Medical Society (BCMS) to install a new computer system and software which will allow Mrs. Linda Paille, BCMS Executive, to access the FMA's iMIS membership database. Mrs. Paille will be able to maintain BCMS membership records, access reports and utilize the data analysis tools available through iMIS. This is a mutually beneficial pilot project funded by the FMA. For more information, please contact Mrs. Kimberly Scott at kscott@medone.org or Mrs. Paille at exec@brevardcms.org.

"For the first time ever, Medicare is making Medical Savings Accounts available to virtually all beneficiaries during the current open enrollment season. The program could be a huge boon for beneficiaries because it eliminates the need for MediGap coverage, provides a way of paying for non-Medicare covered services, limits out-of-pocket exposure, and offers the opportunity to save up for future expenses..." Click here to go to the Consumers for Health Care Choices Web site for additional information.

Speaking of Medicare, now is the time to contact your U.S. Senators. Let them know the importance, to you and your patients, of efforts to avoid decreasing Medicare physician payments. The "fix" is apparently in their hands and with some luck, we'll avoid the draconian cuts being proposed. For those of you sickened by this annual spectacle, you have a lot of company. We'll have more news as soon as it is available.

Until next week...


Sincerely,
Karl M. Altenburger, M.D.
President, Florida Medical Association