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December 17, 2007

"Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion;
and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the
irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the
liberty of appearing."---Thomas Paine

Good morning,

I attended a meeting on Monday with Tallahassee lobbyists for many of the pharmaceutical companies. We discussed the need to better understand each other's areas of concern. We will invite each of them to participate in a "Partnership for Medicine" dialogue to be held at regular intervals--especially during the legislative session. I was accompanied to the meeting by Mr. Tim Stapleton and Mr. Jeff Scott.

On Tuesday morning, Dr. Miguel Machado, FMA's Council on Legislation Chair, arrived from St. Augustine and we met with Speaker of the House, Marco Rubio, and his Chief of Staff. Acknowledging the large number of issues we must monitor, we focused on a few key issues to our profession. Click here to view. The Speaker has a personal interest in health care issues and he was most helpful and supportive.

A few hours later we met with Senate President, Ken Pruitt, to again review our priorities. He discussed how the budget crisis will effect our efforts to increase Medicaid reimbursement toward Medicare levels. However, he pledged to work closely with us on our issues during this coming session. We also met with Rep. Bill Galvano (R-68) who is the House sponsor of our Managed Care legislation. Click here for details.

That evening I was invited to attend the installation ceremony for the next Senate President, Jeffrey "Jeff" H. Atwater (R-25). The ceremony was held in the old State Capitol's Senate chambers. Senator Atwater's great grandfather, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (1857-1910), was Governor of Florida from 1901 to 1905, and Broward County was named after him. Senator Atwater's Great Uncle, Cary Augustus Hardee (1876-1957), was also Governor of our state from 1921 to 1925, and Hardee County was named after him. Both served within a few yards of where the installation ceremony took place. A number of dignitaries, including Gov. Charlie Crist, were in attendance.

On Wednesday, I completed a few tasks at the FMA and then headed home. That evening I participated in another conference call of the Administrative Audit Committee. Last night, the FMA Executive Committee met to review a contract proposal engaging Organizational Performance Improvement Systems (OPIS) to facilitate the FMA's Strategic Planning process, as well as other projects. We discussed the number of calls the FMA continues to receive from around the state on hospital medical staff issues and our continued support of bylaws that comply with the American Medical Association's and the Joint Commission's Guidelines. We also heard an update on FMA staff activities and a legislative report. In recognition of their performance, the Executive Committee appointed Mrs. Kimberly Scott as the FMA's Vice President of Operations and Mr. Tim Stapleton as the Vice-President of Public Affairs removing the interim titles from both.

Lastly, here is a quick Washington update from the FMA's Director of Medical Economics and our Federal lobbyists:

• Senate Republicans were very displeased with Senator Grassley's efforts to load the Medicare bill with other provisions he wanted. Unable to reach an agreement, the Senate has moved to direct negotiations with the House. It is now believed that a one-year Medicare physician fee fix will be part of an Omnibus Bill currently moving through the process.
  
  
• SCHIP funding extension for six to eight months will likely be included in the Omnibus Bill so it can be brought back up in time for the election.
  
  
• Senator Nelson supports our bill to expand Graduate Medical Education slots in Florida and stopping the 10% Medicare physician fee cut. Senator Martinez also supports stopping the Medicare Fee cuts and favors more substantive SGR reform. Both Senators wrote a letter to the Office of Management and Budget opposing planned cuts in reimbursement for outpatient cardiac catheterization procedures. Click here to read this letter.
  
  
• Letters to these Senators continue to arrive and, if you have not already done so, this is a good time to communicate with them. Click here for their contact information.

Best wishes for a happy and safe Holiday and New Year.

Until next time...

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

P.S. The FMA Communications Department is working diligently with Herrle Communications & Marketing For Change to garner valuable market research from physicians throughout the state. In an effort to assist them, please be on the lookout for a survey from them in the coming weeks.