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As you know, the Medical Society of the State of New York, along with several medical specialty societies, has been participating in a Task Force, convened by Governor Spitzer and chaired by Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo and Health Commissioner Richard Daines, to make recommendations to address the fiscal solvency of the medical liability insurance companies and address the fundamental drivers of high medical malpractice costs. In a recent Task Force meeting as well as in follow-up speeches to physician groups, Superintendent Dinallo has made the startling statement that, in the absence of action by the State Legislature to control the cost of medical liability insurance, he will be forced to:
At our request, Mr. Dinallo, Sen. Kemp Hannon, Assem.
Earlene Hooper, Mr. Ed Amsler of MLMIC, Mr. Gerald Dolman, of PRI, came
to the NCMS on January 11, to
present their opinions and to hear from physicians first hand how they
have been unable to cope with the current reductions in reimbursements
coupled with rising costs. The meeting began with Mr. Dinallo reminding attendees
that he is compelled by law to set insurance premiums that will allow
underwriters to maintain solvency. The recent practices of the former
Superintendent of Insurance to set premium rates artificially low have
resulted in the loss of nearly all reserves by MLMIC and PRI.
Mr. Dinallo stated quite clearly that he intends to correct this
matter as he is required to do. Mr.
Amsler and Mr. Dolman both gave reports that verify the financial crisis
these carriers now find themselves in.
Our elected officials from the Senate and Assembly urged
physicians to seize this opportunity to both lobby strongly for reforms
and to work in collaboration with the all parties at the table to come
up with sound options. Richard Peer, MD, Task Force member and Past
President of MSSNY gave the physicians’ perspective on the crisis at
hand and urged all physicians to join in a common effort to make their
voices heard. While tempers flared and frustration among the
physicians was evident at times, this event proved a valuable
opportunity for physicians to air their concerns.
It was also an opportunity to hear candid comments from
our elected representatives and state government officials about the
need for physicians to join together and present a unified voice. Although there were numerous announcements made about the program, with responses from over 100 members, there were only about 75 in attendance. This, I am sure, was not overlooked by our guests. If we ever hope to achieve satisfaction we need to show solidarity. On March 4th, physicians from across New York State will be going to Albany to meet with our legislators on this urgent matter. WILL YOU BE THERE? Call the Society at 516-832-2300, ext 13 for more information.
Although
NCMS believes the following classified advertisements in this section to
be from reputable sources, NCMS does not investigate the offers
made and assumes no responsibility concerning them. OFFICE SPACE TO RENT/LEASE GARDEN
CITY—Garden City Medical Center, located at 520 Franklin Avenue has
office space available. For information, please call 516-7472900.
The
Nassau County Medical Society is pleased to announce that a new member
benefit program is available to members of the Society.
MedjetAssist is the
premier worldwide emergency medical evacuation/repatriation membership
program for business and pleasure travelers. If a MedjetAssist member is
hospitalized more than 150 miles from home and requires further
hospitalization, MedjetAssist will pick them up from anywhere in the
world and fly them to the
hospital of their choice in a medically equipped and staffed aircraft.
There are no out-of-pocket expenses or deductibles.
MedjetAssist has been selected
by the AARP, endorsed by the Nassau County Dental Society and many other
organizations as well as recommended by the top travel writers and
magazines. In addition to a special NCMS member
rate, your membership provides
you and your family with the following benefits: ¨ No medical necessity—MedjetAssist will evacuate you for
injury or illness, as long as our transport destination is an inpatient
hospital setting. ¨ Hospital of Choice—you decide where you want to go in the
event of a medical evacuation. ¨ Domestic and International—guaranteed inpatient transports in the
United States and Internationally. As long as you are 150 miles from
your primary residence, you qualify. ¨ Specialty Hospital Option—You don’t necessarily have to be
traveling. If required specialty care is unavailable in your hometown
hospital, an annual member can be transported to a specialty hospital
150+ miles away in the US, Canada or Mexico. ¨ No Cost Limitation—MedjetAssist is a pre-paid membership
program with no dollar limits on costs for medical evacuation,
repatriation and specialty hospital transports. ¨ No Pre-Existing Conditions, Health Questions or Deductibles— no
pre-existing condition or adventure travel exclusion, no health
questions for enrollees up to age 75, nor deductibles, co-pays or claim
forms. For members over 75, there is a required health statement. For more information on NCMS member MedjetAssist membership, visit their website at: www.medjetassist.com/NCMS.
REMINDER Your 2008 dues bill has been
mailed to you. Please pay
your dues promptly.
STATE LEGISLATIVE DAY– ALBANY Tuesday March 4, 2008 The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get
even less than you settled for. Maureen Dowd This
year’s Annual State Legislative Day in Albany is more important than
any in recent times. Superintendent
of Insurance Dinallo’s message to the Governor’s Task Force of major
increases in liability premiums this July has brought the crisis to the
forefront. The Legislature
needs to take action before these increases are implemented. However, unless you are there to meet face-to-face with
our representatives, in Albany, in their offices, they will continue to
believe that there is no crisis and they can continue to ignore the
problem. To legislators, no-shows = no complaints. You owe it, not only to your patients, your profession,
and your colleagues, but to yourselves, to take the time and make the
trip to Albany. If the
proposed premium increases are going to have a negative impact on your
ability to deliver quality care to the membership, then you have to be
the one to deliver that message to your legislator. The Nassau County Medical Society will make
arrangements to get as many buses as we need to get everyone that wants
to go to Albany. We will do what we can to give you the opportunity to
deliver your message. The rest is up to you. If you are interested in going to Albany on March 4, you MUST contact the Society at 832-2300, ext 14 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
All Physicians MUST continue
to do the following: 1. Call the Liability Reform Hotline,
1-866-728-3397, which will generate a faxed letter to Governor Spitzer,
Assembly Speaker Silver, and Senate Majority Leader Bruno. 2.
Urge your patients to call the 1-866
hotline. There is a patient access point that generates a similar
patient focused letter to the above-referenced leaders. 3.
Send a letter to your local Assemblymember and
Senator from the MSSNY website. There is a link on the front page
of the MSSNY website to the sample letter. There is also a patient
letter on the website www.mssny.org. 4.
Arrange to meet with your local legislators. 5.
Advise your colleagues regarding the
importance of taking steps #1-#4. MSSNY has
also begun advertising in the Legislative Gazette, a paper read by many legislators and
staff in the State Capitol, to urge needed reform. These ads are
the first in what will be an aggressive media campaign over the next
several months. Not surprisingly, the Trial Lawyers have upped the ante
with a series of strident and insulting ads to the physician community
that deny there is need for medical liability reform. 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF NASSAU ACADEMY OF MEDICINE Plans
are underway for the 50th Anniversary celebration of the rededication of
the Nassau Academy of Medicine’s building at 1200 Stewart Ave.
2008 will mark this auspicious event and we are looking for
interested members to serve on the celebration and historical
committees. If you would like to help, please call the Academy at 516-832-2300, ext 13 or e-mail us at nassaumed@verizon.net.
Is Your Web Site Linked to Ours? As a member benefit, you can now have your web site
linked to ours. Increase visibility and access to your
practice at no cost to you as a member of NCMS. HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL FIND AT WWW.NACMED.ORG * Frequently Asked
Questions * Legislative Updates
* Upcoming Meetings
& Programs * Workers' Compensation
* Member Benefits and
Insurance * Academy of Medicine
* Professional Liability
Insurance
* Medicare/Medicaid
Addresses and Phone Numbers
* Links to Professional
Medical Associations and Member Sites
* Membership Application
and Information
* and MUCH MORE!
Nassau County Medical Society's web site has all this
information for you at your fingertips. Visit
us TODAY at We
welcome your comments and suggestions on our web site and its contents.
NASSAU ACADEMY OF MEDICINE Wednesday - February 27, 2008 NASSAU
ACADEMY OF MEDICINE 1200 STEWART AVENUE, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530 SEATING CAPACITY IS LIMITED AND
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ACADEMY MEMBER FEE - $10.00
NON-MEMBER FEE - $40.00 RESIDENT
PHYSICIANS AND MED STUDENTS - NO CHARGE Call 516-832-2300 Ext 13, for more information
The NPI is here. The NPI is now. Are you using it? Important Information for Medicare Providers Urgent: Test Your Medicare Claims Now!
(Reminder: For institutional
claims, the primary provider fields are the Billing and Pay-to Provider
fields. For professional claims, the primary provider fields are the
Billing, Pay-to, and Rendering Provider fields. If the Pay-to Provider
is the same as the Billing Provider, the Pay-to Provider does not need
to be identified.) Need More
Information? Not sure what an NPI is and
how you can get it, share it and use it? As always, more information and
education on the NPI can be found through the CMS NPI page www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand
on the CMS website. Providers can apply for an NPI online at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov or can call the NPI enumerator to request a paper application at
1-800-465-3203. Having trouble viewing any of the URLs in this message?
If so, try to cut and paste any URL in this message into your web
browser to view the intended information. Note: All current and past
CMS NPI communications are available by clicking "CMS
Communications" in the left column of the www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand CMS webpage. Getting an NPI is free - not having one can be costly.
MEDICAL
BILLING Docsbackoffice
is an Internet based medical billing service providing physicians
and their staff with an easy an inexpensive way to process claims. No
monthly maintenance or software to purchase. If
you’re paying more than 4%, you’re paying too much. Call Tim Haniffy
at 516-622-2242.
Meningococcal Disease Confirmed in Massapequa Student The Nassau County
Department of Health has been informed that a 17-year old Massapequa
High School student was diagnosed with Meningococcal Meningitis and died
today. He was a senior who played on the St. Rose of Lima
CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) basketball league and worked
part-time as a stock boy at the local King Kullen Supermarket on Merrick
Road in Massapequa Park. The Health Department
is notifying those individuals who have been identified as close
contacts with the student and advising them of the need for preventive
treatment. Persons who
worked or shopped in the grocery store do not need preventive treatment
nor do those who may have had casual contact in a classroom or office. Every individual
identified as having shared food, drink, eating utensils or a beverage
container, such as a water bottle, or exchanged oral secretions or had
any similar exposure with the student between January 13th and January 23rd, 2008, should contact
his/her health care provider immediately to receive preventive
antibiotic treatment. Meningococcal disease
is a bacterial infection of the bloodstream or meninges (a thin lining
covering the brain and spinal cord) caused by the meningococcus germ.
The disease is spread by direct close contact with nose or throat
discharges of an infected person. Symptoms
can include high fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and rash and
appear most often within five days after exposure, but can appear
anytime between two and ten days. Individuals
who think they have symptoms suggestive of the disease should contact
their health care providers immediately. Additional information
on Meningococcal Disease may be found on the New York State Department
of Health Website at www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/.
Information is available on the Nassau County Department of
Health’s information line at (516) 571-2500.
The
NY State Department of Health has launched the New York State
Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) as of January 1, 2008. Regional
rollout of trainings has begun. The NYSISS is the state’s new
web-based immunization registry and requires physicians and other health
care providers to report all immunizations administered to persons 19
years and younger on January 1, 2008. The
law also requires that past immunizations histories of all person 19
years and under who receive vaccines after January 1 be reported to
NYSIIS. Physicians will need to keep track of all immunizations that
they give while awaiting training for the system. Under DOH’s
proposed requirements, physicians must have internet access and a Health
Provider Network (HPN) account to access the registry. Free
training to learn the system will be available in a classroom setting,
webinars, on-line and by a user’s manual. Physicians
and other providers will not be expected to report to the registry until
after the training has concluded in their particular region of the
state. Physicians will receive a letter from DOH indicating when
that training will take place. Physicians can begin the process of
securing an HPN account by logging https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/pub GOVERNOR
PROPOSES TO FULLY FUND EXPANSION OF STATE CHP PROGRAM Governor
Eliot Spitzer’s proposed Executive Budget to be released Tuesday will
include $37 million to assure that New York can implement a law to raise
the eligibility level for the Child Health Plus Insurance Program (CHP)
from 250% FPL to 400%. According to Governor Spitzer, raising the
threshold will provide eligibility to 70,000 additional children in New
YorkState. The money will be used to replace the funds that New
York had been expecting to receive from the federal government to
support this CHP eligibility expansion. New York had enacted a law
as part of last year’s State Budget to increase the eligibility level. However,
there were concerns that New York would not be able to implement this
change due to the rejection by the federal government of New York’s
application for receiving increased funds to cover this expansion. In
an August 2007 letter, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) announced that states would not be able to obtain additional
funding to support expansion of their respective CHP programs above 250%
FPL unless they first enrolled 95% of eligible uninsured children under
200% FPL. This standard would be very difficult for New York to
meet. New York as well as nine other states has sued the federal
government challenging this CMS position. MSSNY has fully supported
the actions of Governor Spitzer in challenging this CMS position. CPH
Seeks New Medical Director SAVE THE DATE INFECTION CONTROL TRAINING—required
NYS Training being given on Wednesday, February 27, 2008—6-8PM at the Nassau Academy of Medicine.
Registration and payment required. MSSNY STATE LEGISLATION DAY—
ALBANY, March 4.
Members interested in going to Albany on that day to visit with
our legislators should contact the Nassau County Medical Society. NCMS/NAM JOINT MEMBERSHIP MEETING— Tuesday, March 27 at the Chateau Briand, Carle Place. 47th ANNUAL MEDALLION BALL—APRIL 5, 2008 honoring Martin Greenfield, MD, President, at The
Woodlands in Woodbury NY. Reservations
required.
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