Surprise Billing Bills, Autumn Convention, Physician reviewers needed, Autumn Convention and more!

October 30, 2019

MOA and AOA: End Surprise Billing

As an osteopathic physician, you know the burden that surprise billing can place on both patients and physicians. Patients should have access to high-quality physician-led care where they live and should not have to suffer additional financial burdens when dealing with out-of-network charges for emergency services. We need to find a solution to this issue that protects patients from this process but also does not penalize physicians.

Michigan's lawmakers recently introduced H.B. 4459 and 4460 and S.B. 570 and 572 which attempts to shield patients from these billing disputes, but leaves you, the physician, without an appeals process. As currently proposed it would still not be fair to all parties. Write your state Representative today and ask them to oppose H.B. 4459 and 4460 and S.B. 570 and 572 and pass surprise billing legislation that in addition to protecting patients, includes the following recommendations:

1) Incorporate actual billed charges, as determined through an independent claims database, when calculating out-of-network payments to physicians.

2) Establish an appeals process when disputes arise between physicians and insurers.

3) Strengthen health insurance network adequacy standards.

Michigan's lawmakers are working on this issue right now, but without hearing from you they may pass legislation that is not fair to all parties. Write your state lawmakers today and ask them to oppose H.B. 4459 and 4460 and S.B. 570 and 572 and address the points above in any surprise billing legislation.

Link: Contact your legislator today!

Update: Requested Changes sent to bill sponsor

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) have written to Michigan State Senator Lana Theis to thank her for her intended support in protecting patients from unanticipated medical expenses with two senate bills — SB 570 and SB 572 — but to request several important changes to the legislation. While the two bills aim to protect patients from surprise billing, SB 570 and SB 572 as written fail to recognize some of the underlying market issues that allow surprise out-of-network bills in the first place.

Link: MOA and AOA Letter to Sen. Lana Theis

The MOA will host the 15th Annual Autumn Scientific Convention at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Nov. 8 - 10, 2019. Network with colleagues, visit the Scientific Research Exhibit Competition and visit with exhibitors during a compelling and educational weekend. This event has seen tremendous growth since its humble beginnings in 2004. Educational CME opportunity to earn 24-26 AOA Category 1-A credits. The MOA has a limited number of rooms reserved with a group rate discount at the Amway Grand Plaza (link is below).

Link: MOA 15th Annual Scientific Convention webpage and registration

Autumn Convention offering: Care Coordination Training

The Practice Transformation Institute (PTI), in conjunction with the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) and Health Care Partners of Michigan (HCPM), is offering training designed to educate interprofessional care team members with a knowledge base and skill set to enable high quality chronic disease care. The program is open to any healthcare professional that is interested in learning how to benefit from these care coordination management changes, hopefully relieving some of the physician burden by taking some of the care coordination activities off their shoulders, possibly increasing practice revenue and efficiency at the same time.

Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.

Care Coordination Training

Saturday, November 9, 2019

8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Amway Grand Hotel – Governor’s Room

187 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

To Register Contact: Yang Yang at (248) 475-4839 or yyang@transformcoach.org

2019 Flu Shot Day at the Capitol

The Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) in conjunction with the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) and the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians (MAOFP) held its annual Legislative Flu Shot Day at the Capitol Building in Lansing.

Throughout the event, over 300 public officials, staffers and other attendees were vaccinated. The event was free and open to the public as part of outreach to promote the awareness of osteopathic medicine and the importance of vaccinations.

Students participating in the event honed both their clinical and advocacy skills while giving the legislators a dose of osteopathic preventive care. More than 50 volunteer physicians and medical students from MSUCOM assisted in administering the flu shots. All students were trained to administer shots through Community Integrated Medicine Public Health Systems.

Link: Facebook Photo Album

SOMA DO Monster Dash

SOMA’s annual DO Monster Dash, charity 5k run/walk and costume contest will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2019!!

All proceeds this year will benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Families Against Narcotics, so come out and support a great cause! The race falls the weekend after Halloween so get one last use out of your costume and come run for charity! We could not make this event successful without your support so please come out to run and mix it up with your fellow students and staff! The link to sign up/donate is below. If you have any questions please feel free to contact David Funk or Zachary Howarth at Soma.monsterdash@gmail.com.

Entry fee $20 (before October 27 - $30 thereafter), includes tee shirt and post-race refreshments.
Special Group/Family pricing! Register 3 or more people at the same time and receive $3 off per person!
If you cannot attend and run, donations are still welcome!
The race will be chip timed by the Michigan Running Foundation. Results will be posted at the event and available online at Playmakers.com.

Link: Sign up

MOA Advocacy Day at MSUCOM

Record turnout as advocacy efforts presented to MSUCOM Students

The campuses of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) hosted the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) for the annual Advocacy Day lunch. The event featured the MOA's Virginia Bernero and governmental affairs expert, Kevin McKinney.

Bernero gave an overview on the Michigan Osteopathic Political Action Committee (MOPAC) and how the organization can help elect legislators who understand and support issues critical to DO's. McKinney gave insight on his over 30 years of experience from working with the Senate Majority Leader to his present role as the head of a multi-client lobbying firm. McKinney's perspective is particularly close to the osteopathic profession as his father, Max McKinney, was a DO and a past President of the MOA.

The event included pizza and drinks for the students, with the speakers live from Fee Hall in East Lansing and a teleconference to the Macomb and DMC campuses for a combined audience of over 150 students.

Ryan Smith, DO, Awarded Resident of the Year by AOF

The Michigan Osteopathic Association would like to congratulate Ryan Smith, DO, who was awarded the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) Outstanding Resident of the Year in Family Medicine. Dr. Smith was honored at the AOF gala at OMED 2019 last week in Baltimore.

A graduate of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Smith has held numerous leadership positions with the Michigan Osteopathic Association, ACOFP, Community Service Committee-Oakland Primary Care and the Student Government Association, among others. He served as the Chair on the ACOFP Resident Council, as a Delegate in the ACOFP Congress of Delegates and a member of the Clinical Preparation Committee of the Student Association of the ACOFP.

Credentialing Requirements Survey

The Michigan Osteopathic Association is looking for your concerns and questions regarding credentialing. The brief survey gives our members a chance to provide feedback on the complex issue of maintaining credential information for health plans and offer comments on how the MOA can help.

Link: Credentialing Survey

Michigan Rural Care Threatened by Budget Vetoes

In Lansing, budget negotiations continue after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer line-item vetoed funding passed by the Michigan Senate and House that would take key strides in protecting and improving access and quality of care for Michigan residents. The budget passed by the Legislature would create a more sustainable, long-term funding environment for hospitals by ensuring Medicaid reimbursements are closer to the cost of providing care and protecting vital safety net services and care in Michigan’s most remote areas.

We need your help as we work with lawmakers to work toward a solution that would allow hospitals to be reimbursed by Medicaid for services at a rate closer to the full cost of care, fully funds the Healthy Michigan Plan and maintains support for the Rural Access Pool and Obstetrics Stabilization Fund. This would create a more sustainable, long-term funding environment for hospitals and also protect vital safety net services and care in Michigan’s most remote areas.

What you can do: Please take a moment to write your lawmaker and the governor and ask them to support improving healthcare funding as they continue budget negotiations so that every community in Michigan can continue to access the healthcare services they need.

Also, ICYMI: Check out the hospitals featured in the #MiRuralCareMatters campaign. The #MiRuralCareMatters campaign, launched earlier this year , highlights the more than 60 hospitals that serve thousands of Michiganders in rural areas who have unique health needs and challenges. The public education campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact Michigan’s rural hospitals have on the communities they serve and the challenges they face. The campaign has featured:

An effort to encourage healthy eating from Munson Medical Center.
The impact of a teen center supported by Eaton Rapids Medical Center.
The community support behind cancer patients at Mackinac Straits Health System.
A partnership between Spectrum Health Lakeland and a local barbershop to address health disparities.

Thank you again for being a MiCare Champion and showing to lawmakers that #MiCareMatters!

Qualified Physician Reviewers Needed

MPRO (Michigan Peer Review Organization) is the federally-designated health care Quality Improvement Organization in Michigan. In addition to its long-standing contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Michigan Medicaid program, MPRO also holds contracts with various entities for independent medical reviews.

MPRO’s physician review panel currently consists of approximately 150 specialists and 40 additional physicians in various healthcare fields.

Panel members review cases where there is a concern regarding:

Quality of care
Medical necessity for a device, drug, procedure or test; or
Necessity for hospital admission

Reviews can be completed electronically off-site. Compensation is currently $100 an hour, but the true value is the satisfaction physicians receive in protecting the integrity of their specialty by doing medically legitimate peer review.

If you are interested in serving on MPRO’s physician review panel, please contact James Mitchiner, MD, MPH, MPRO medical director, at (248) 465-7313 or jmitchin@mpro.org

Does it matter if doctors wear white coats?

From germs to patient perception: Here’s what to consider when you’re considering the traditional physician garb . DOs who proudly wear their white coats and those whose coats live in their closets both weigh in.