The DJP Update

DJP Update 6-13-2010 AMA Meeting – Speeches from candidates supported by Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies; “MedPage Now” article about start of AMA meeting; Lagniappe

Reference Committees are in progress now.

AMA has a very fair and democratic system of electing the president, trustees, and councils. The AMA House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the AMA, votes on the candidates for president-elect as well as the individuals running for the position of trustee as well as most of the councils. Many interviews of the candidates occur as the candidates visit the various delegations. In addition, as an example of the political activity, the candidates for trustee give a 2 minute speech before the entire House of Delegates.

The Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies is a group, not geographical but rather AMA policy-based, that is comprised of state and specialty societies whose delegates sit in the AMA House of Delegates. In addition, 3 former presidents of the AMA (Dr. Johnson, Dr. Palmisano, Dr. Plested) are associate non-voting members of the Coalition. The Coalition gave its support to 3 candidates who hope to gain one of the the 4 seats of the AMA Board that are opening up at this meeting. It would be great if the video of the speeches of the 8 candidates vying for these 4 seats were posted immediately on the AMA Website. That would allow AMA members not at this meeting to see and hear the positions taken and send their opinion to the seated delegates. Hope this will be done in the future and perhaps still can be done at this meeting. Communication is essential to enhance membership. We all know that membership in AMA continues to decline and we must use creative ways to enhance communication. Paternalism and an attitude of – we know better, trust us- is not the way to go.

I am placing in this email the text of the speeches of the three candidates supported by the Coalition.

See the speeches below the tweet about the “MedPage Today” article.

———

Here is an article about the opening day of the AMA House of Delegates written by Peggy Peck of “MedPage Now”. The tweet I did last night gives the link.

www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

Click on link or copy and paste it into your browser.

“AMA: Little to Cheer About as AMA Meeting Opens” By #PeggyPeck #MedPageToday http://tinyurl.com/27eqex5

——–

Speeches of the AMA board candidates supported by the Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies

Speech of Steven Permut, MD, JD of Delaware

I’m Steve Permut from Delaware – a small guy from a small State – with big ideas – I want to be your Trustee. So, let’s build a stronger AMA together.

Growing up I worked with my Dad in North Philadelphia. I saw how poverty affected people’s health. So, I had a big idea. Like all of you, I had a calling-to-care, and I became a physician.

Once in practice, I saw how frivolous law suits destroyed careers. Once again, I had a big idea – I became a lawyer. For the past 25 years I have worked with organized medicine at the State and National levels using both my medical knowledge and legal skills to reform health care.

Physician, lawyer, and now, ¿a politician? Some say I’m going down hill. I say I’m reaching new heights by waging uphill battles.

For example, we do not have a health CARE reform bill; we have a health INSURANCE bill, and what good is health insurance without access to care? The current bill puts OUR calling-to-care in jeopardy.

So, let’s reform health care together by repealing the SGR and the Independent Payment Advisory Board and by adding provisions for private contracting, quality standards set by practicing physicians, and proven liability reforms. Let’s expand the number of GME slots, and rebuild Primary Care.

My experiences have molded me into a leader and an innovator.

Please vote for Steve Permut for Trustee – the small guy from the small state with big ideas – thank you.

———

Speech of Monica Wehby, MD of Oregon

Speakers, Delegates,

I am a pediatric neurosurgeon from Portland, Oregon.

I have been coming to the AMA for nearly 25 years, ever since I was a medical student.

Each of us is here today because we are leaders.

We were chosen by our state or specialty to be their voice.

It is our diverse backgrounds that provide the AMA with the wisdom

gained only through the appreciation of broad perspectives

across the field of medicine.

Fortunately, as physicians, there is much we can all agree on.

Here, at the AMA House of Delegates, we forge a strong, unified voice

based upon our shared principles and our established policies:

SGR

liability reform

inadequate reimbursement

faulty quality measures

private contracting

These policies are vital to preserving our ability to care for our patients.

Doctors must control medicine, not the government.

I believe that the AMA must stand firmly on these foundations,

or else our credibility is suspect.

I also believe that Board member votes on advocacy issues should be recorded

and accessible to the House.

Our House of medicine has nothing to hide.

We must remain strong, because doctors need the AMA.

If not the AMA, then who? If not now, then when?

I believe the AMA can, and must, effectively represent all physicians.

As we strive keep our patients alive and well,

so must our AMA strive to keep our practices alive and well.

I respectfully ask for your vote.

—————

Speech of Joseph E. Gutierrez, MD, FACS of Washington, DC

GOOD AFTERNOON COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS

I’M Joe Gutierrez and I am running for the BOARD OF TRUSTEES—

Let’s think about LIBERTY and FREEDOM.

These principles are the very heart and soul of the founding of this great nation.

They define who and what we are – what we represent – what we stand for.

LIBERTY and FREEDOM – what we want to preserve – for our patients,

for ourselves, for our proud and noble profession.

LIBERTY and FREEDOM – Gradually, big government and 3rd party payers

are taking that away from us – so we must be vigilant about these encroachments.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has passed.

It does not protect all patients. It is not affordable or fiscally responsible.

It does not protect the patient/physician relationship.

It does not give patients and their physicians the LIBERTY and FREEDOM

to privately contract without penalty. It does not bring about meaningful and

significant tort reform. It does not fix the SGR. And, it will be bureaucrats

not physicians who will determine the quality of care!

It is time to put a stop to all this!

I ask for one of your votes on Tuesday – to fight for the LIBERTY and

FREEDOM of our patients and ourselves.

For a change, let us show some courage. The courage to bring about

a positive change!

Please – one of your votes for Joe Gutierrez on Tuesday !

Thank you very much….

Joseph E. Gutierrez, MD, FACS

Immediate Past President

Medical Society of the District of Columbia

Immediate Past Chair, Southeastern Delegation to the AMA

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DJP Comment: Get involved. Call your delegates. Let’s try to change the direction of AMA and save AMA. Electing these 3 candidates to the Board will send a strong message to the current AMA Board. AMA is a wonderful organization and has a rich history of achievement. The current work of CEJA, The Litigation Center, the Publishing Division, and more serve physicians and patients well. Let’s get transparency about board votes (why should the votes of trustees on health system reform decisions about support of a bill in Congress be secret! Let’s see who is advocating the top HoD priorities!) , let’s enhance communication, let’s negotiate with Congress as experts and not as supplicants. Medicine hangs in the balance.

Voting is TUESDAY MORNING.

Lagniappe: Congratulations to Dr. Ron Clearfield, who was nominated by President-elect Dr. Cecil Wilson, for a position on CEJA. The House of Delegates affirmed that nomination and Dr. Clearfield is the newest member of the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.

Stay well,

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2259 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 6-12-2010 Live from the AMA House of Delegates Chicago – 2010 Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting has started!

Nominations for various positions starting now.

Here are some tweets from Chicago.

www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

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DJPNEWS

Now: Dr Rohack giving speech HoD #AMA: when tsunami #Medicare perhaps Congress will allow private contracting & balance-billing

less than 5 seconds ago via web

Chicago Blackhawks & Stanley Trophy celebration 6-11-2010 Hyatt – IPhone fuzzy photo on escalator – note trophy http://twitpic.com/1w8cs4

38 minutes ago via Twitpic

June 12, 2010 start of AMA Annual Meeting Chicago – singing of National Anthem http://twitpic.com/1w88gb

about 1 hour ago via Twitpic

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Stay well,

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2256 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 6-4-2010 BP oil spill in Gulf – The pictures of the Pelicans say it all

Picture of Louisiana Brown Pelican at East Grand Terre Island Louisiana Coast covered in oil from BP oil spill in Gulf

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-pelicans.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/04/1663037/as-gulf-spill-oil-nears-pensacola.html

Another Pelican in treatment

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/us/05pelican.html

The beautiful Brown Pelican, Louisiana’s State Bird, in better days.

http://donb.photo.net/photo_cd/d/b21.jpg

Some of you remember my images of shore birds and our famous Pelican from my campaigns for the Board and Presidency of AMA:

http://www.naturesreflectionslimited.com/

and my favorite Pelican image:

http://www.naturesreflectionslimited.com/pelican.html

This is a time for all to show leadership, stop the leak, AND implement “Lessons Learned”.

Just like we learned the lessons in New Orleans from Hurricane Betsy in 1965 and in the mock Hurricane Pam of 2005 for New Orleans planned and executed by Fed, State, and local authorities that I describe in my book, but they were put in planning and disaster documents and placed in closets. Hurricane Katrina of 2005 showed what happens when the lessons learned are disregarded. Planning, leadership, communication, contingency plans are recurrent themes that are forgotten. In risk management I teach that one must be prepared for the unexpected: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/risk.html

The possibility that an oil well deep in the ocean could leak SHOULD NOT BE UNEXPECTED. And a good analysis would investigate why we are drilling that deep in the ocean. What are the alternatives? Why is the risk of the alternatives? And so on.

When I was in the military, we had disaster drills. One day, a B-52 back from Vietnam crashed at our USAF landing strip in South Dakota. Despite a raging fire melting the plane and people trapped in the plane, everyone was saved. Why? Because the USAF was prepared and all knew their responsibility and were competent to carry it out.

Sad times for the Gulf Coast and all of America.

Stay well,

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 6-2-2010 Bravo to Florida Medical Association!

Be sure to click on link to FMA statement on SGR in my tweet below. This is what AMA should be doing!! Advocate the right of patients and physicians to privately contract without penalty. And do as FMA says, convert to a defined contribution program.

This approach of private contracting also has been advocated in its principles by the Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies, an entity with over 80,000 physicians and three former presidents of AMA. Dr. Todd Williamson of Medical Association of Georgia gave testimony in Washington this week on this subject on behalf of the Coalition State/Specialty.

AMA just announced a large upcoming ad campaign about the SGR “DocFix”. Let’s see if AMA even mentions private contracting without penalty and balance-billing. These are policies of the AMA and were voted to be among the highest advocacy items of AMA by the policy-making body of AMA, the House of Delegates.

I have placed below a couple of my recent tweets on this topic from www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

Note the second one gives a link to an attack on doctors. Let me repeat myself: When government micromanagement and price-fixing fails, the doctors will be blamed. It is the nature of Congress and those who fail to understand that only doctors deliver medical care in the USA that is the envy of the world.

Tweets on the SGR & “DocFix” at www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

DJPNEWS: Bravo to #FloridaMedicalAssociation re #DocFix & #SGR; this is what AMA should be advocating! http://tinyurl.com/288hqvs

tweeted 1 hour ago

DJPNEWS: As predicted in #DJPUpdates : when price-fixing SGR fails, docs will be blamed! Restore liberty! http://tinyurl.com/28c735j

tweeted 9 hours ago.

LAGNIAPPE: If AMA does not get the message soon, membership will continue to decline and other organizations will arise and become the dominant force representing the practicing physicians in America. You can count on that. The clock is ticking, AMA. Time to follow specific AMA policy, restore liberty, and stop being a press agent for those who passed the disaster in the details health bill. The 21% cut is in effect now. But let us also remember that the cut also affects the families of the brave men and women in the military who are on TriCare. Shame on Congress.

And AMA, the substitution of another price-fixing formula or a delay in implementation of the cuts IS NOT A WIN. Think Pyrrhic Victory.

The Annual Meeting of the AMA is June 11-16 in Chicago (11th is OSMAP). Make your voices heard!

Stay well,

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update May 31, 2010 Memorial Day – a time to remember & give thanks – Freedom Is Not Free

DJP Comments: Check out the tweets in the last 15 hours. Be sure to reflect on the photo “Freedom Is Not Free” that I did in 2001 at Veterans Memorial Blvd & Causeway Blvd in Metairie, La. in the first tweet below.

And there is a powerful story about a veteran and his love of Country & and his working dogs in war in the third tweet.

Hope you have a wonderful day of remembrance. Freedom is fragile and requires defending. I always thank those in the military when I see them in airports.

———

Yes, the oil disaster continues and the goo is now on land in Louisiana. This is a time for true leadership and I am thankful Governor Bobby Jindal is the Governor of Louisiana. He demonstrated his skills with Hurricane Gustav and his communication to the residents in Louisiana is outstanding in times of crisis.

A brilliant friend tells me that the long-term effect of this oil disaster is the realization that nuclear energy production will play a large role in America’s future. France generates most of their electricity by nuclear power. He says look for smaller nuclear plants and a dramatic change in how we fuel our cars, trucks, and buses.

As for safety, check out: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf06.html

“To achieve optimum safety, nuclear plants in the western world operate using a ‘defence-in-depth’ approach, with multiple safety systems supplementing the natural features of the reactor core.”

It would have been nice if that degree of “defence-in-depth” was in effect in the Gulf for deep oil drilling. Of course, regulations and rules are of no value if no one monitors and makes sure the safety precautions are in effect.

——-

www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

#MemorialDay memory “Freedom Is Not Free” photo ©2001 DPalmisano; Metairie La. Korean War Memorial http://twitpic.com/1srw1m

1 minute ago via Twitpic

Fun to see what writers like & WHY RT @PublishersLunch#plnws Six Writers on Their Favorite Readinghttp://bit.ly/bXIZ6L

21 minutes ago via Echofon

#MemorialDay memories: Vet thinks of comrades killed in Vietnam & the dogs who saved so many others http://tinyurl.com/26nx95b

40 minutes ago via Echofon

National @WWIImuseum #NOLA celebrates own 10th anniversary, 56th D-Day Normandy, 68th Battle Midway #TPhttp://tinyurl.com/29b9nek

about 1 hour ago via Echofon

“Presidencies are..about crisis management” ..”feels as though Barry watching from..balcony” @NYTimesDowdhttp://tinyurl.com/39lz9df

about 15 hours ago via Echofon

——-

Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 5-29-2010 Recent Tweets re: Memorial Day; BP oil disaster; & Peggy Noonan comments on leadership

Tweets in the past 20 hours found at www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS are below.

DJP Comments: I encourage you to go to all of the links. The video “”That’s What We do, We’re Americans” is powerful. Thanks to Dr. Bob Sewell for alerting me about it.

And don’t miss reading VERY CAREFULLY the article in Business Week (Thanks to life-long friend Ray F. for that alert!) In view of the contingency fee system in America, there are two groups who will benefit from the BP disaster, tort lawyers and the politicians they support.

Meanwhile, doctors are price-fixed and politicians use organized Medicine like servants. Think about it. Different rules for different folks. And yet Medicine continues to tolerate that “Animal Farm” scenario. “Some are more equal than others.” And don’t forget, the price-fixing “SGR” still is in effect. What did organized Medicine get for their participation in the disaster in the details bill?

www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

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Bad news! Truly a mess. RT @cnnbrk BP says it is abandoning “top kill” effort to stop flow of oil in Gulf.http://on.cnn.com/aGCAFz

12 minutes ago via Echofon

Reflect this #MemorialDay: liberty-courage-death & watch video “That’s What We do, We’re Americans” http://tinyurl.com/ybq7ghk

22 minutes ago via Echofon

Upcoming winners in #BP oil disaster: Tort Lawyers with contingency fees! #BusinessWeek @BW http://tinyurl.com/39yqarc

41 minutes ago via Echofon

Thx! RT @foxnews America’s Valiant Veterans Repose in Cemeteries Worthy of Heroes — Both in the U.S. and Abroad http://fxn.ws/dbVPoh

about 7 hours ago via Echofon

@PeggyNoonannyc writes @WSJopinion “He Was Supposed To Be Competent”; She questions Prez leadership http://tinyurl.com/3ak64dx

about 20 hours ago via web

Words of wisdom re #MemorialDay by #MarkHelprin in @WSJopinion http://tinyurl.com/3xu2tm2

about 20 hours ago via web

——

Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 5-27-2007 More on Massachusetts current & possible future approach to med licensure & insur participation; Tweets

Massachusetts may be the canary in the coal mine alert system. It is important to monitor what is happening not only with their new health law but the medical licensure tied to insurance participation.

Two issues about Massachusetts and tying medical licensure to mandatory participation in various insurance plans

There appears to be some confusion in the minds of some outside of Massachusetts who circulate information about the situation in Massachusetts. To clarity the issue, I contacted several of my physician friends who have been active in organized medicine and who keep up with the regulations and laws in Massachusetts.

A- Current situation

The 2009 Massachusetts bill tying medical licensure, mandatory acceptance of fees in plans etc did not pass.

Here is what I wrote about the 2009 bill in a letter to a doctor who circulated the 2009 bill as though it was still active:

EXCERPT FROM LETTER I SENT recently:

———-

A comment on the letter that discusses med licensure and mandatory participation in health plans

This certainly is an important issue to monitor and fight against. No one should be forced to be in any payment plan as a condition of medical licensure.

However, the Massachusetts bill that continues to get circulated, SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2188 FILED ON: 7/23/2009, DID NOT PASS into law.

Yet the letter you circulated and this Weblink, http://news.jonzu.com/z_united-states_wonderful-massachusetts-state-ties-conditions-of-licensure-to-participation-in-medicaremedicaid-law-under-review-right-now.html , says it is still under review.

The Massachusetts Medical Society opposed the bill.

See: http://www.massmed.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home6&CONTENTID=32295&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

EXCERPT:

MMS Issues Strong Opposition to Proposed Legislation Linking Licensure to Participation in Health Plan

November 2, 2009

Contact: Richard P. Gulla

rgulla@mms.org

(781) 434-7101

pager: (877) 820-9023

“While we recognize the increasing burden everyone bears with rising health care costs,” Mario Motta, M.D., president of the Massachusetts Medical Society said, “this bill is the wrong approach for too many reasons. It is unfair to physicians and exploits them in the name of health care cost control.”

One provision of the bill requires the participation of physicians and other health care providers in this plan as a condition of licensure.

Dr. Motta said “There should be no law that requires physicians and other providers to follow the dictates of insurers, including rules on limiting care to patients, or risk loss of their professional license. Further, The Board of Registration in Medicine, the state agency responsible for licensing, should not be mandated to revoke any qualified physician’s license on the basis of that physician’s contractual relationship with any insurer.” Dr. Motta pointed out that even Medicare and Medicaid do not tie participation in its plans to a condition of licensure.

——–

When I wrote about this bill some time back in one of my DJP Updates, Dr. Motta wrote me and said the bill has been defeated.

(DJP comments continue) Certainly physicians and medical organizations need to be on the alert for such bills and oppose them. And, of course, AMA should be strongly advocating for the right to privately contract, without penalty. It is part of liberty AND it is AMA policy that is among the highest advocacy priority. Unfortunately it is not being pushed as a high priority as evidenced by ads and other speeches and writings of AMA.

——–

END OF EXCERPT FROM LETTER

——

Future Approach: However, there is a 2010 bill. Yesterday, I inquired about it.

EXCERPT FROM LETTER I WROTE YESTERDAY:

What is going on with this latest bill that ties medical licensure to mandatory price-fixing and no balance-billing in Mass? See attached House bill 4452 filed on Jan 10, 2010 by Harriet Stanley. I know the previous bill died but what is going on with this one?

Has Mass Med come out against it?

——–

REPLY I RECEIVED:

“That bill appears to be going no where.

Recently it was “attached’ to the budget bill, but we succesfully got that deleted. So.. as of now, not an issue. That is not to say the insurance lobby will not try again at a later time of course.”

————–

BUT it is important for all of us to remember the CURRENT SITUATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. Another dear friend in Massachusetts, Dr. Leonard Morse, a former Chair of AMA CEJA wrote in part:

“Since 1985, the physician’s of Massachusetts must accept Medicare payment as payment in full in order to be licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine. I was Chair of the Board then and resigned in protest! A license to practice should be based solely on academic credentials. Other non academic licensing requirements include no balance billing (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and assurance that a physician has paid his/her state taxes (for starters).”

——

END of EXCERPTS.

DJP Comment: Eternal vigilance is in order!

Powerful article by George Will: See first tweet below.

http://tinyurl.com/3xs3vl2

Two short excerpts:

“The theme of his campaign, the genesis of which was an invitation to address a tea party rally, is: “First of all, freedom.” ”

“The most basic right,” Johnson says, “is the right to keep your property.” Remembering the golden age when, thanks to Ronald Reagan, the top income tax rate was 28 percent, Johnson says: “For a brief moment we were 72 percent free.” Johnson’s daughter — now a nurse in neonatal intensive care — was born with a serious heart defect. The operations “when her heart was only the size of a small plum” made him passionate about protecting the incentives that bring forth excellent physicians.

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Some Recent Tweets from www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

Note the tweet about Dr. Constantian’s new book. I wrote about Dr. Mark Constantian speech in my DJP Update 11-23-2009 and gave you a link to one of his speeches about the practice of Medicine: http://www.nesps.org/multimedia/Constantian.MP3

I recently heard him speak at the Annual PIAA Meeting which was held in Chicago this year. His topic was the new health system reform law. Excellent speech.

DJPNEWS

Powerful article by #GeorgeWill with Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” analogy: “Running Not Shrugging” http://tinyurl.com/3xs3vl2

less than 5 seconds ago via web

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2 high praise reviews Dr Mark Constantian book, “Rhinoplasty: Craft & Magic” in Plast&Reconst Surg, Apr 2010,Vol125 #4 pp 1288-1290

about 3 hours ago via web

SGR #DocFix still not resolved! Doesn’t anyone in Congress listen! Solution: allow priv contracting & no penalty! Liberty!#hcr

6:31 PM May 26th via web

Let’s hope BP oil spill Gulf doesn’t ruin play in Gulf. Gulf Shores, Ala. 100 miles coast La. affected http://twitpic.com/1rdanu

6:17 PM May 26th via Twitpic

A possible future: BP oil spill might ruin this recreation along Gulf Coast. http://twitpic.com/1rd908

6:11 PM May 26th via Twitpic

Strong view by Dr Scherz! RT @M_P_T Opinion: Why Donald Berwick is Dangerous to Your Health http://bit.ly/b00M4KAgree? #tcot #hcr

1:50 PM May 26th via Twitter for iPhone

Message to #Hoyer: Stop attacking @BobbyJindal, a true leader, & do your job! RT @Politico Hoyer hits Jindal…http://politi.co/aEkhBn

11:57 AM May 26th via web

@gracemarietweet: Thanks for Retweet: RT @DJPNEWS: Gov @BobbyJindal in Foreword my book, “On Leadership…” A leader must step up, risk..

11:43 AM May 26th via web

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Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 5-24-2010 A powerful video by a senior surgical resident regarding health system reform: “Going Galt: When Will Surgeons Say Enough is Enough?”

Senior surgical resident Daniel B. Cox, MD of the University of Alabama Medical School posted online his UAB Surgical Grand Rounds Presentation of April 29, 2010.

(Thanks to Katie O. Orrico, Director Washington Office, American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons for alerting me about this video!)

Hope you can take the time to watch it. When the youth in Medicine speak up about their love of Medicine, the desire to help patients, and opposition to government control, it gives me encouragement that Liberty may survive.

You may object to one of his ideas, but surely no one can object to the protection of the patient-physician relationship and getting politicians out of Medicine.

Go to: http://www.vimeo.com/11378278

I look forward to meeting this freedom-loving dedicated surgeon.

If only AMA had done documentaries and YouTube presentations putting forth the excellent AMA policy that gives real reform and puts the patient in control with the doctor as trusted advisor, the disaster in the details bill that masquerades as health system reform would never have passed. Unfortunately, AMA’s sanction pushed the bad bill over the goal line. In patient safety, when an error is done, the patients want to know what happened and why, what is being done to prevent it from happening again, and finally, they want to hear sorry!

We wait for AMA to acknowledge any mistake, we wait to hear why the mistake was make, and we certainly have not hear Sorry! Instead we get constant emails from AMA praising the law when reality shows otherwise. Yes, gravity exists. It should be acknowledged. But I keep digressing. Perhaps one day a movie producer will do the AMA equivalent of an HBO “TREME” video series (about the TREME neighborhood in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina). Think about that reference!

Maybe someone will run for president-elect of AMA from the floor in June at the last minute. That should change the debate!

Here are a few of the recent tweets at: www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

Note the one about AMA blinking. No where do you see AMA advocating in this round of communications about the right to privately contract without penalty!

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LSMS has urgent request to docs to help pass La. HB 1404, a local tax exemption physician issue. House floor vote today. Make calls.

about 7 hours ago via Echofon

Game afoot! RT @BreakingNews Repub..Charles Djou wins special election..U.S. House from Hawaii District 1, where Pres. Obama..born – AP

11:34 PM May 22nd via Echofon

AMA blinks! No end price-fix RT @AmerMedicalAssn Short-term interv..temp reprieve..perman..solution..needed http://bit.ly/9zkjkv #hcr

7:19 AM May 21st via Echofon

Consequences! RT @WSJopinion ..Goodman: Goodbye, Employ..Spon..Insurance: Companies ..discover..cheaper pay fine http://on.wsj.com/arX5Ig

7:07 AM May 21st via Echofon

The inevitable result of gov price-fixing #hcr RT @texmedMore Texas doctors dropping Medicare patients http://goo.gl/vYZg

2:13 PM May 18th via Echofon

——–

Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2248 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 5-17-2010 NPSF Congress; Interview that gives Palmisano view Health System Reform, plaintiff attorneys & AMA

ITEM ONE: NPSF Patient Safety Congress

Now in Orlando, Florida for the annual Congress of the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF). I serve on the Board of Governors. NPSF is an organization that AMA was a key player in the formation in 1997 as one of the Founding Sponsors. AMA gave one million dollars to help get it launched. That was a good decision! Wish AMA used that judgment in the health system reform debate rather than helping pass a disaster law.

Check out the schedule at: http://npsf.org/npsfac/index.php#schedule

ITEM TWO: Palmisano view Health System Reform, Plaintiff attorneys, and AMA.

For those who continue to ask, here is a summary of my perspective on health system reform. But to the regular readers of DJP Update, I repeat myself!

Below is the tweet I sent today that gives the Weblink to my interview published April 2010 in Modern Medicine. As the current health system reform law unfolds, I still believe the view in that interview is the way to go rather than the current law that will fail in its present form.

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www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

DJPNEWS

#Palmisano interview #ModernMedicine April 27, 2010 – my view on health system reform #hcr #AMA http://tinyurl.com/2wt8dmu

32 minutes ago via web

——

Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2241 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.

DJP Update 5-14-2010 Breaking news on “Doc Fix” and the price-fixing SGR – NO PERMANENT FIX! And more bad news about health law. See tweet.

Just got word from a reliable source as I wait in Houston airport trying to get back home. No permanent fix for SGR!

Of course, the real fix is to allow doctors and patients to privately contract WITHOUT penalty (no being forced out of Medicare for two years!). And that is AMA policy for many years (since 1993) and since November 2009 it is voted by AMA House of Delegates to be among AMA’s highest advocacy priorities.

AMA should be taking out ads, doing radio and TV and pointing out the system is melting down. Every specialty should join forces on this issue stating that balance-billing is needed. Private contracting without penalty is necessary! Access to care is at risk!

My source tells me the item up for consideration is a continuation of the SGR with another temporary fix. Maybe up to 5 years. But even that is not assured of passage.

And then there would be a guaranteed 32% payment cut written into the law for 2015. It appears the goal is to then move to bundled payments etc and eliminate “fee-for-service”.

Time to cut the chains! This is about liberty. Don’t accept a longer chain and more time in the prison exercise yard. Doctors don’t belong under the control of government. Currently, doctors are the victims of this injustice because the doctors sanction it and continue to genuflect to the power brokers in Congress.

I repeat: Disaster in the details in the health bill continues to unfold as I predicted. At least let us find a way to keep the doctors in practice. If the current leadership doesn’t go all out for the doctors, change the leadership. That includes the AMA leadership and Congress. Time to end the failed approach.

Meanwhile, more bad news about the consequences of the health bill. For the record, this law is cited as:

The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (P.L. 111-148), enacted on March 23,

2010 and amended shortly thereafter by the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of

2010” (P.L. 111-152) as enacted on March 30, 2010.

See this Retweet I did today to learn more bad news.

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www.Twitter.com/DJPNEWS

!! RT @galeninstitute ..bad news about #ObamaCare just keeps coming http://bit.ly/aJEnen #tcot#hcr #hc #healthreform#healthcare

about 5 hours ago via Echofon

——

Stay well.

Donald

P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates. Twitter is free and takes minutes to join. Put email in and pick password. Great source of breaking news and you don’t flood your email with it. You can get free app for BlackBerry or IPhone etc and you check on tweets when you want.

Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/

Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us

This DJP Update goes to 2241 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
To join the list, send me an email stating “Join DJP Update” To get off the list, state “Remove DJP Update”. Best to put in Subject line so I can do immediately.