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Mission
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The mission of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) is to ensure the well-being of physicians and their patients in metropolitan Washington.
MSDC:
1. advocates on behalf of its member physicians of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
2. promotes high standards of character and professionalism
3. makes certain that physicians are, and are recognized as, the primary professionals who define and guarantee high quality, appropriate and cost-effective medical care
4. above all, aggressively defends the highest principle in medicine: the integrity of the physician-patient relationship.
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Medical Society of the District of Columbia
1250 23rd Street NW
Suite 270
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 466-1800 Main
(202) 452-1542 Fax
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| 2013-14 Board of Directors |
Catherine S. May, MD
Chair of the Board; At-Large
Laura L. Tosi, MD
President; AMA Alternate Delegate
John W. Larsen, MD
President-Elect
Daniel I. Perlin, MD
Immediate Past President
Joseph E. Gutierrez, MD
Treasurer; AMA Delegation Chair
Reginald L. Robinson, MD
Secretary; At-Large
Peter E. Lavine, MD
AMA Delegate
J. Desiree Pineda, MD
AMA Alternate Delegate
Susanne Bathgate, MD
At-Large
Julian R. Craig, MD
At-Large
Barry L. Lewis, MD
At-Large
Carla C. Sandy, MD
At-Large
Stuart F. Seides, MD
At-Large
K. Edward Shanbacker
Executive Vice President
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MSDC Staff
K. Edward Shanbacker
Executive Vice President
Rose Smith
Controller
Pia Duryea
Director of Membership and Communications
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Large Group Members
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Let a colleague know what we're up to and pass the report along!
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| 2013 Annual Report | December 31, 2013 |
Dear Doctor,
There has never been a more critical time for physicians to come together as a strong "Voice of Medicine" to ensure the well-being of physicians and patients in metropolitan Washington. The profession of medicine faces unparalleled challenges with regulatory reforms and upheavals in how physicians are paid and the settings in which you practice - transformations that impact the entire physician community. However, as healthcare continues to evolve, one certainty remains: the Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) is your leading champion for the physicians of our Nation's Capital.
Representing over 2,800 members, the Medical Society works closely with the Mayor's Office, the DC Council, the DC Departments of Health, Behavioral Health, Insurance and the DC Board of Medicine; and it advocates at the local, regional and federal levels to address the specific needs of member physicians of all practice settings. The Medical Society leadership and staff value your support and are committed to advocating aggressively on your behalf and providing benefits to meet your needs. In 2013, the Medical Society addressed key physician issues related to physician pay, regulatory and insurer hassles and the ongoing local implications of federal health system reform, which are elaborated on below. The Medical Society will address these and many other critical issues in the coming year. Inasmuch as the Medical Society exists to serve you and your patients, I encourage you to contact us at 202-466-1800 with any concerns important to your practice.
Sincerely,
K. Edward Shanbacker
Executive Vice President
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MSDC Advocacy
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MSDC advocates at the individual, District, regional and national levels on behalf of the physicians and patients of our Nation's Capital, lobbying for fair physician payment, against regulatory and insurer hassles and burdensome government mandates.
FAIR PHYSICIAN PAYMENT AND REIMBURSEMENT
Physician payment was a prevailing issue in 2013 as the Medical Society continuously pressed the City to make providers whole for over 60 million dollars in unpaid claims for services rendered to DC Chartered Health Plan insureds. On the national level, Medicare reimbursement reform is closer than ever before as the Medical Society and its Federation partners have rallied support for repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula.
Over $60 Million Secured for Unpaid Claims to Providers Who Treated the District's Neediest Patients
DC Chartered Health Plan went into receivership in 2012, owing tens of  millions of dollars to District physicians and hospitals. MSDC continuously pushed the Mayor's Office to make providers whole. As a result of this concentrated effort, the City released 18 million dollars toward payment on unpaid claims, with the balance paid by the DC Department of Health Care Finance through an emergency grants program.
Put Telemedicine Services Reimbursement into Law
The Medical Society has been actively engaged on the issue of telemedicine services to ensure fair reimbursement for physicians and expanded care for their patients. The Medical Society worked closely with the Council to ensure that the "Telemedicine Reimbursement Act of 2013," signed into law this fall, requires health insurance companies to include a telemedicine benefit in all policies.
Historical Change in the Medicare Payment Formula
Organized medicine is at a turning point on the longtime automatic Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) adjustments to Medicare physician payment. After years of aggressive lobbying, the Medical Society and its Federation partners have won support from Congress and the President to permanently repeal the Medicare payment model and replace it with physician incentives for meeting quality benchmarks. MSDC will continue to work towards a sustainable solution for District physicians and their patients. MSDC also helped delay a 24% payment cut scheduled to take place on January 1, 2014.
MINIMIZING REGULATORY AND INSURER HASSLES
Physicians faced a range of onerous government mandates and insurer hassles, which the Medical Society fought strongly against and helped to minimize. In the District, MSDC opposed legislation that would impose nurse staffing quotas on health systems across the District and lessen the role of healthcare professionals in determining patient care. As the Affordable Care Act continued to roll out, the Medical Society worked closely with the District to ensure mandates were well implemented at the local level. As physicians prepare for the 2014 licensure renewal cycle, the Medical Society is partnering with various groups to help members obtain necessary HIV/AIDS CME credits at no additional cost.
Fought Government Mandated Nurse Staffing Quotas
Together with the DC hospital community, the Medical Society opposed the so-called "Patient Protection Act of 2013" and the "Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2013." The Medical Society rejected the premise that big government is more qualified than trained health professionals to determine how to meet the City's diverse patient needs. MSDC submitted written testimony to the Committee on Health, urging the need to do right by the District's patients.
Eased the Impact of Healthcare Reform, Nationally and Locally
As healthcare reforms continued to roll out, the Medical Society worked to ensure that local implementation of the ACA did not place improper financial and administrative burdens on District physicians or in any way diminish physician autonomy. The Medical Society lobbied the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, with national and state medical society partners, to extend Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use program by one year to the end of 2016. Aggressively Pursued Prior Authorization Reform The Medical Society pressed the City Council to reintroduce legislation to streamline prior authorization, the insurer protocol that is a leading barrier to high quality, timely patient care. The Medical Society continues to petition aggressively for passage of the "Uniform Electronic Prior Authorization Form Amendment Act of 2013" in the current Council period. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ADVOCACY - The Medical Society testified at a public hearing befor
 e the Committee on Health for much-needed legislation to address the rising problem of drug abuse and diversion. The Medical Society argued against a requirement that physicians query every patient.
- Testified at a public hearing in support of the "Expedited Partner Therapy Act of 2013," which has passed the City Council, to help bring down the District's high rates of sexually transmitted disease
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Advocated with national and state medical society partners on behalf of Medicare physicians and their patients by:
- working to halt recoupments from physicians that provided service to incarcerated Medicare beneficiaries
- objecting to narrow networks for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries
- working to move forward the "Medicare Patient Empowerment Act," which will allow Medicare patients to privately contract with their physician regardless of Medicare participation status
- Participated in District healthcare improvement initiatives, such as the DC Healthcare Workforce Partnership Group, DC Health Benefit Exchange, DC Health Information Exchange and the Mayor's Commission on HIV/AIDS
- Represented MSDC members who had claims disputes with major insurers, such as CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare
- Succeeded in obtaining outstanding or delayed payments from private insurers on numerous occasions for Medical Society members
- Maintained a strong working relationship with ProAssurance and MSDC member insureds through participation on the ProAssurance Claims and Underwriting Committee
- Served on the CareFirst Medical Advisory Board, representing DC physicians
- Participated on the DC Chamber of Commerce's Health & Wellness Committee to represent and promote physicians' interests in the business community
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MSDC Programs and Services
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The Medical Society offers programs and benefits to meet member needs and partners with businesses to provide additional member-only services.
MSDC's Physician Health Program
- Worked with the DC Department of Health to expand the Physician Health Program to include other health professionals
- Identified and aided physicians and medical students in their recovery from conditions that may impair their ability to practice medicine.
MSDC Annual Meeting and Physician Networking
| Past and Present Medical Society Leaders at the Annual Meeting |
The Medical Society offered members several networking opportunities, including the 2013 Annual Meeting and Reception and sporting events at the Verizon Center held in conjunction with Washington Radiology Associates. Highlights of MSDC's Annual Meeting and Reception included:
- Over 100 MSDC members attended the 2013 Annual Meeting and Reception at the Whittemore House in Washington, DC
- Laura L. Tosi, MD, was installed as MSDC President for the 2013-14 term
- Emmy award winning journalist Lark McCarthy addressed the impact of the District's aging population and the Affordable Care Act on District physicians
- DC Board of Medicine Chair Janis M. Orlowski, MD, was awarded the MSDC Certificate for Meritorious Service
- 13 vendors supported the event, including:
- Alzheimer's Association - National Capital Area
- Athenahealth
- Atlantic Health Partners
- Children's National Health System
- Farley Center at Williamsburg Place, The
- Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, The
- Johns Hopkins Health Care
- Medical Society Services
- Nixon Uniform Service and Medical Wear
- Pfizer
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- ProAssurance
- Washington Radiology Associates
Community Service Activities
- The MSDC Task Force on Family Violence provided technical assistance regarding local policy initiatives covering victim's services, critical health care programs, housing expansion and capacity building
- Supported and distributed the "DCRx Card," a prescription discount program for patients in the District
- The Medical Society and Alliance Foundation (MSAF), the Medical Society's charitable organization, held a free lecture to inform physicians and the public how patient navigators facilitate health care. MSAF also supported DC residency programs.
- Served on the DC Cancer Consortium's Advisory Board
Corporate Partner Program and Member Benefits
MSDC continued to develop its Corporate Partner program to provide members-only discounts and benefits that cover a range of products and services designed to support your medical practice or hospital. These include:
- ProAssurance - Negotiated a 50% discount from Physician Loss Prevention Seminar registration fee for MSDC members
- MedChi Network Services - MSDC launched a partnership with MedChi Network Services and arranged free practice assessments for MSDC members.
- Professional Risk Associates - Full evaluation and service for MSDC members' medical liability insurance
- TransFirst (previously Solveras Payment Solutions) - Free payment process evaluation
- IC System - Up to 10 debts submitted for collection, free of charge
- Atlantic Health Partners - Discounted vaccine purchasing program for MSDC members only
- Other support for MSDC members in 2013 came from:
- Athenahealth
- CBeyond
- DC Hospital Association
- Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty
- Johns Hopkins Health Care
- Nixon Uniform Service & Medical Wear
- Pfizer
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
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