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Upcoming Meetings…
May
13
MOA Board Meeting
1:00 pm
MOA Charitable Fund Board Meeting
Immediately following the Board meeting
MOA Service Corp. Board Meeting
3:00 pm
Hyatt Regency, Dearborn
May 14-17
MOA Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency, Dearborn
May 14
MOA House of Delegates Meeting, 9:00 am
MAOFP Past President’s Council, 2:30 pm
MOA Past President’s Council, 4:00 pm
MAOFP Board of Directors, 4:30 pm
Hyatt Regency, Dearborn
May 17
MOA Board Meeting
9:00 am
Hyatt Regency, Dearborn
May 28
MOA Intern-Resident Committee, 6:30 pm
MOA Headquarters, Okemos
June 12-15
NEMOA & MOA Annual Summer Conference
Mission Point, Mackinac Island
June 23
MSUCOM Welcome BBQ, 5:30 pm
MOA Headquarters, Okemos
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April '08 Highlights
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Issues
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BCBSM
Reform
In the last week of April the state Senate
passed two bills related to the long debated
individual health insurance market reform
proposed by BCBSM. The two bills were
an amalgamation of substitute bills offered
by Sen. Tom George, MD and Sen. Jason
Allen. The bills differed markedly from
the four bill package which sailed through
the Michigan House of Representatives
last November without any critical analysis.
The two bills take steps to level the
playing field between BCBSM and commercial
insurers by making some necessary alterations
to the BCBSM statute and many alterations
to raise the bar for commercial insurers.
Rep. Virgil Smith, who chairs the House
Insurance Committee, has indicated his
intention to convene a panel to review
the proposed substitutes as well as the
original legislation that passed the House.
It is clear that BCBSM will not be content
with the minor victories represented by
the Senate substitutes. The House of Representatives
can reject the Senate substitutes, thereby
sending the bills to a conference committee
which would allow the matter to be discussed
and decided behind closed doors by six
legislators. A more likely scenario, given
the intense criticism leveled at the House
for their lack of due diligence last November,
is more protracted debate and testimony
that will coincide with fundraising for
the upcoming elections. The best case
scenario will be action on the bills prior
to the elections, because actions after
the elections in the “lame duck” session
are highly unpredictable due to the lack
of accountability by legislators who will
not be returning to office.
Medicaid/Medicaid Cuts
Due in part to intensive lobbying during
the DO Day on the Hill, the US House of
Representatives overwhelmingly passed
HR5613 to delay seven rules proposed by
the Bush administration that would cut
Michigan Medicaid funding by $3.9 billion
over a five-year period. One of the seven
rules would terminate Medicaid funding
for graduate medical education. The overwhelming
support for the bill is critical because
President Bush has promised to veto it
when it comes to his desk. Last week the
US Senate failed to act on this legislation.
However, it is likely that the Senate
will attach the delay of the Bush regulations
to an appropriations bill. It is hoped
that this strategy will make the moratorium
on the proposed rules veto-proof. US Senators
Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin have both
expressed support for the language passed
by the House of Representatives.
There has been no action reported on the
Senate bill to halt the 10.6% reduction
in physician payment scheduled to take
effect on July 1, 2008. However, based
on information collected at DO Day on
the Hill, virtually all legislators have
promised that this cut will be repealed.
Some legislators indicated that the solution
may not be passed before July 1, but that
the solution would be retroactive to that
date. The general consensus in both houses
of Congress is that Medicaid, Medicare
and the budget for the Iraq war must be
finalized before the summer recess.
Recall of Rep. Dillon
The campaign seeking to recall House Speaker
Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) for his support
of last year’s tax increases has filed
15,500 signatures in hopes of forcing
an election. A total of 8,724 valid signatures
from among the registered voters living
in the 17th House District must be filed
to force the election. State officials
have until June 4th to complete the verification
process. The MOA House of Delegates will
consider a resolution opposing use of
the recall for single votes cast in good
faith.
Smoking Ban
In a surprise move Senate Majority Leader
Michael Bishop agreed to discharge the
House-passed smoking ban to the Senate
floor. The Senate stripped many of the
exceptions from the House Bill and passed
it back to the House. Banning smoking
in public places, MOA’s #1 public health
priority, is now passed on for final action
in the House of Representatives. Kudos
to Sen. Michael Bishop for his leadership.
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Committee Meetings
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•
The
MOA Honors and Awards Committee met on April 15th
to interview four outstanding MSUCOM graduating
seniors. The winning candidate was awarded the MOA
Outstanding Graduating Senior Award at the MSUCOM
commencement ceremonies on May 1st.
• The MCOMA Membership meeting was held on April
16 where BCBSM legislation, MCOMA resolutions, and
delegate attendance were discussed.
• On April 22 MOA participated in the Tri-Staff
meeting by conference call where the new Emergency
Medicine policy was presented.
• On April 16 and 24, MOA staff met with marketing
personnel from American Physicians to discuss changes
to the MOA Member Rewards Program.
• The OCOMA Board and membership meeting was held
on April 23 where impending Medicare cuts were a
topic of discussion
• On April 30 the Nominating Committee met to discuss
MOA Board Trustee appointments, which will be voted
on at the MOA House of Delegates Meeting on May
14, 2008.
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Administration
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MOA met with BNA to discuss possible business membership
and a presentation at the MOASC board meeting.
• MOA staff received training on the Secureach system,
which will be utilized by the MOA to inform leaders
of events, meetings and other important notices.
• The MOA displayed a table and attended sessions
at the Physician Billing Management Seminar on April
15.
• The MOA met with American Physicians to discuss
convention events and to receive updated figures
on participation.
• MOA Managers conducted interviews with several
candidates for MOA Deputy Director.
• Planning for the first-ever MOA/AMOA 5K Fun Run/Walk
to be held in conjunction with the MOA Annual Convention
continued. The planning committee met several times,
solicited sponsorship from numerous organizations,
ordered t-shirts, started organizing volunteers
and collected pre-registrations from participants.
• Staff sent a letter to DMEs requesting a time
for the MOA to present to new interns and residents
during their upcoming hospital orientations in June.
Letters were also sent to MOA leadership requesting
their participation during the hospital orientation
program for new interns and residents.
• MOA membership applications were sent to MSUCOM
graduating class of 2008 (272) to solicit for MOA
membership.
• Staff assembled 36 Life Professional certificates/plaques
for new LPs, who will be honored at the MOA convention.
• MOA staff stuffed & mailed 723 convention
registration packets for those physicians who pre-registered.
• MOA sent Midwestern University, Des Moines University
& MSUCOM a list of MOA convention registrants
who graduated from their osteopathic schools.
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