| call_to_action_say_no_to_proposed_license_renewal_fee_increase | Call to action! Say no to proposed license renewal fee increase | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2019/January/call_to_action_say_no_to_proposed_license_renewal_fee_increase | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/steth-money-645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" /></div>
<h5>January 15, 2019</h5>
<h2>Call to action! Say no to proposed license renewal fee increase</h2>
<p>
The WSMA is deeply concerned about a potential increase in license renewal fees for physicians (MDs) and physician assistants being considered by the Washington Medical Commission.
</p>
<p>
The commission has notified the WSMA of its plans to initiate rulemaking to raise physicians' renewal fees 54 percent (from $657 to $1020) and physician assistants' renewal fees 96 percent (from $202 to $396). If adopted, the fee increases could go into effect as soon as late 2019.
</p>
<p>
Note that licensure fee setting is done through a truncated rulemaking process, meaning that when the proposal is formally released by the commission, likely in the coming months, there will be only a brief opportunity to provide feedback.
</p>
<p>
As it’s unclear exactly when the commission will officially release its proposal, the <strong>WSMA is advising physicians and PAs not to wait for the formal proposal and act now: Email the commission at <a href="mailto:medical.rules@wmc.wa.gov">medical.rules@wmc.wa.gov</a> and let them know how this increase would impact you—and tell them you endorse WSMA’s <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/Newsletters/2018/WMC_Fee_increase_ltr_112818.pdf]">formal comment letter</a> expressing strong opposition to the proposal.</strong>
</p>
<p>
Along with the formal letter, the WSMA has expressed its concerns in person with commission leadership. See this <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/wsma_pushes_back_on_state_plans_to_raise_physician_licensure_fees">Membership Memo item</a> for background.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Please take a moment to make your voice heard today. </strong>
</p>
<p>
You will have a second opportunity to provide feedback once the official proposal is released in the coming months—we will make sure you are notified at that time.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Don’t wait to act: Contact the commission today, <a href="mailto:medical.rules@wmc.wa.gov">medical.rules@wmc.wa.gov</a>.</strong>
</p>
<p>
And be ready to comment again when the proposed rulemaking is released. Thank you for taking action today on behalf of all physicians and PAs.
</p>
</div> | 1/15/2019 9:54:59 AM | 1/15/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| in_appreciation_wsma_member_dr_richard_dick_whitten | In appreciation: WSMA member Dr. Richard Whitten | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2019/January/in_appreciation_wsma_member_dr_richard_dick_whitten | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/AM_2017.10.062_Whitten_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" /></div>
<h5>January 11, 2019</h5>
<h2>In appreciation: WSMA member Dr. Richard "Dick" Whitten</h2>
<p>By Graham Short</p>
<p><em>The following article was featured in the January/February 2019 issue of WSMA Reports, WSMA's print newsletter. WSMA Reports is a benefit of membership. Non-members may <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/Publications.aspx?hkey=8f14076c-10b8-48ab-9595-8c256836e393">purchase a subscription</a>.</em></p>
<p>
It's the end of an era: WSMA member Richard "Dick" Whitten, MD, of Sammamish has stepped down from his role as speaker of the WSMA House of Delegates, a position he held with dignity and aplomb for five years, and symbolically drawing to a close a time of tremendous leadership and service—more than 30 years worth—at the WSMA.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Whitten presided over the House of Delegates, with his trusted gavel and dog-eared copy of parliamentary procedures, starting in 2013, replacing departing speaker and Tacoma family physician Richard Hawkins, MD. Assuming his place, starting with the 2019 WSMA House of Delegates, will be Spokane pediatrician Deborah Harper, MD, who has served as vice speaker since 2016, and who will be flanked by a new vice speaker, Matthew Grierson, MD, sports medicine physician from Seattle.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Whitten's service as House speaker was just the latest in a long line of leadership roles at the WSMA held by the indefatigable physician and longtime member. His service included six years as a delegate representing King County (2007-13), four years as chair of the WSMA bylaws committee, and 25 years as a member of the AMA delegation, representing the interests of Washington physicians and patients on the national level at the AMA House of Delegates. Dr. Whitten has been a dedicated member of the AMA for more than 37 years.
</p>
<p>
WSMA's current AMA delegation chair, Spokane anesthesiologist Rod Trytko, MD, believes Dr. Whitten has been a fierce physician champion. "We all have benefitted from his relentless efforts to make Washington a great place to practice medicine and receive care. He also has been one of my most trusted friends."
</p>
<p>
Another champion of physicians and patients, Seattle internist and Qualis Health CMO John Vassall, MD, agrees: "For those of us involved in the practice of medicine and in advocacy for our patients and our colleagues, we know that words matter and details matter. Dick took this very seriously and made sure we did not forget the important words and the important details."
</p>
<p>
Dr. Whitten currently serves as medical director and vice president of health policy at Noridian Healthcare Solutions.
</p>
<p>
From all of WSMA, a hearty "thank you" to Dr. Whitten for his leadership, service, and continued membership (38 years and counting). We are proud to have you as a member!</p>
<p><em>Graham Short is WSMA’s associate director of communications.</em></p>
</div> | 1/11/2019 3:15:00 PM | 1/11/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| a_look_at_wsmas_advocacy_agenda_on_eve_of_state_legislative_session | A look at WSMA's advocacy agenda on eve of state legislative session | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20190109/a_look_at_wsmas_advocacy_agenda_on_eve_of_state_legislative_session | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/Stock.image_2017.WA.State.Capitol.Building_Double-645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 9, 2019
</h5>
<h2>A look at WSMA's advocacy agenda on eve of state legislative session</h2>
<p>
The 2019 state legislative session begins this Monday. The primary duty of the Legislature during this "long" 105-day session will be to pass a budget to fund the state government and related services for the two-year period starting July 1, presaged by <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/governors_2019_budget_proposal_the_good_the_good_and_the_ugly">Gov. Inslee's budget proposal</a> in December. While budget negotiations will take center stage, lawmakers will also consider legislation on an array of topics—and the WSMA will be there to help guide them on those issues impacting physicians and patients.
</p>
<p>
Topping the list of WSMA's advocacy priorities for the 2019 session are access to care, support for mental and behavioral health services, and health care market stabilization and reform. With <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2018/physician_depression_its_time_to_care_for_our_own">professional burnout still of paramount concern to your state medical association</a>, the WSMA will screen all proposed health care policy through the lens of whether it adds administrative burden to the practice of medicine.
</p>
<p>
Priority bills and budget provisions the WSMA anticipates include:
</p>
<h3>Mental/behavioral health</h3>
<p>
The WSMA will support proposals to increase our state's behavioral health workforce, such as funding for psychiatric medical residencies and increasing access to telemedicine services. Many of these behavioral health funding provisions were laid out in the <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/governors_2019_budget_proposal_the_good_the_good_and_the_ugly">governor's budget proposal</a>, including a long-held WSMA priority: an increase in Medicaid reimbursements (for mental health, substance abuse treatment, and adult and pediatric primary care).
</p>
<h3>Liability</h3>
<p>
Several liability bills we monitored in 2018 we expect to see again in some form, including:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Whistleblower protections – The WSMA will again urge lawmakers to provide protections to employed and non-employed physicians who make good-faith claims of wrongdoing by hospital administrations.</li>
<li>Advance directives – The WSMA will urge legislators to simplify the requirements for signing/notarizing advance directives.</li>
<li>Wrongful death – We expect to again see legislation addressing wrongful death lawsuits (the WSMA successfully opposed a bill in 2018 which would have increased liability and exposure these claims).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Opioids</h3>
<p>
Over the past several years, physician-led efforts have been crucial to <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Press_Releases/2018/Public-private_safe_prescribing_initiative_results_in_reductions_in_Medicaid_opioid_prescriptions">reforming opioid prescribing practices</a>. During the 2019 session, the WSMA will push for increased access to treatment for opioid use and substance use disorder through reimbursement, workforce availability, access to non-opioid treatments, and more.
</p>
<h3>Public health </h3>
<p>
The WSMA will support legislation during session in line with policy recently passed by the House of Delegates, including policy addressing firearm violence and climate change. Other public health priorities we expect to see include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Raising the age for the legal purchase of tobacco products to 21.</li>
<li>Funding for a maternal mortality review committee.</li>
<li>Funding for Foundational Public Health Services.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Taxes on physician services</h3>
<p>
As <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/governors_2019_budget_proposal_the_good_the_good_and_the_ugly">reported previously</a>, the governor has proposed $3.7 billion in tax increases to fund investments outlined in his budget proposal. Included is a 67 percent increase in the business and occupation tax, from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent. As we've done in past legislative sessions, the WSMA will vigorously oppose this provision in the governor's budget, which would disproportionally harm our state's solo and independent practices.
</p>
<p>
As the session unfolds, we'll keep you posted on developments in our communications channels. If you'd like to help support our advocacy more directly, <strong>come to Olympia on Feb. 7 for the 2019 WSMA Legislative Summit</strong>, and join your like-minded colleagues and peers from across the state as we take our advocacy message directly to legislators. We need WSMA members from all of Washington's 49 legislative districts to attend, to ensure lawmakers throughout the state hear our message on behalf of physicians and patients. The event is free for members—learn more and <a href="mailto:https://wsma.org/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx?hkey=ec5e0510-cee2-4aa9-b549-905d63952454">register online</a> today.
</p>
<p>
And be sure to check out this month's issue of WSMA Reports, which features a special focus on WSMA's advocacy and how to be a good physician advocate. The publication should be in your mailbox now.
</p>
</div> | 1/9/2019 12:22:55 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| call_for_comments_draft_report_on_the_future_of_maintenance_of_certification | Call for comments: Draft report on the future of maintenance of certification | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20190109/call_for_comments_draft_report_on_the_future_of_maintenance_of_certification | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 9, 2019
</h5>
<h2>Call for comments: Draft report on the future of maintenance of certification</h2>
<p>
Whether you like or hate maintenance of certification (MOC), the WSMA believes physicians should have the right to choose among options for continuing education (to that end, the WSMA helped pass legislation in 2018 <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative___Regulatory/WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative_Regulatory/Legislative_Regulatory.aspx?hkey=c0dc6e7c-4385-497a-99db-4a6b6f4e56bd#new">prohibiting MOC as a condition of licensure</a> here in Washington). At the national level, the WSMA continues to <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2018/Strong_wins_for_the_profession_this_session">support the work done by the American Board of Medical Specialties</a> to modernize continuing board certification. Physicians interested in the issue should note that a commission convened by the ABMS to assess the current state of MOC has posted for public comment its draft report, which includes recommendations for future continuing certification programs. <a href="https://www.abms.org/news-events/abms-statement-on-vision-for-the-future-commission-draft-report-for-public-comment">Find the draft report online</a>. Comments are due by 9 a.m. PST next Tuesday, Jan. 15. The commission will meet one last time to review comments and revise the draft before submitting its final report to the ABMS in February.
</p>
</div> | 1/9/2019 12:42:10 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| considering_running_for_office_the_2019_ampac_candidate_workshop_can_help | Considering running for office? The 2019 AMPAC Candidate Workshop can help | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20190109/considering_running_for_office_the_2019_ampac_candidate_workshop_can_help | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 9, 2019
</h5>
<h2>Considering running for office? The 2019 AMPAC Candidate Workshop can help</h2>
<p>
Ever wonder how doctors get elected to Congress or your state legislature? Considering a run for office yourself? Then the AMPAC Candidate Workshop, held March 1-3 in Washington, D.C., is for you.
</p>
<p>
The one-and-a-half-day workshop will provide you with the skills and strategic approach you will need to make a run for public office. Some of the topics include: How and when to make the decision to run; the importance of a disciplined campaign plan and message; the secrets of effective fundraising; what kinds of media advertising are right for your campaign; how to handle the inevitable crises that emerge for every campaign; the role of your spouse and your family; and how to become a better public speaker.
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.ampaconline.org/political-education/ampac-candidate-workshop/">Registration is now open</a>. The deadline to register is Feb. 8—the program fills up quickly, so don't delay. The registration fee is $250 for AMA members ($1,000 non-members), spouses and state medical society staff. The fee is waived for students/residents; however, there are limited slots and the AMPAC board will review and select from the pool of qualified applicants.
</p>
<p>
For more information visit <a href="http://www.ampaconline.org/get-involved/political-education/">AMPAC online</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/9/2019 2:59:09 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| gov_inslee_previews_public_option_bill | Gov. Inslee previews public option bill | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20190109/gov_inslee_previews_public_option_bill | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 9, 2019
</h5>
<h2>Gov. Inslee previews public option bill </h2>
<p>
Framing it as a "significant step in the goal of universal coverage," Gov. Inslee this week announced he will work with Democratic lawmakers to introduce legislation establishing a public health insurance option in Washington state.
</p>
<p>
While the details of the legislation have yet to be released, the governor laid out the basic framework for the public option (called "Cascade Care") at a <a href="http://mynorthwest.com/1236119/cascade-care-inslee-proposal/">press conference</a> on Tuesday and <a href="https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-public-option-legislation-to-promote-health-care-for-all-47bd01010a82">on his website</a>:
</p>
<ul>
<li>The state Health Care Authority will contract one or more insurers to offer "standardized" plans within the state's health benefit exchange, to ensure that all counties in the state have available insurance options on the individual market.</li>
<li>Standardized plans will have consistent and transparent deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance;</li>
<li>Physician and provider reimbursement rates will be capped at Medicare rates.</li>
<li>The health benefit exchange and the Health Care Authority must ensure that customers spend no more than 10 percent of their income on premiums for the public option plan.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Asked by several press outlets to react to the proposal, WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom, while noting WSMA's shared goal of ensuring universal coverage, expressed concerns with the reimbursement provision:
</p>
<p>
<em>"Based on press reports we are deeply concerned with this particular proposal pegging physician and provider reimbursement rates at Medicare rates. Medicare rates, put simply, are artificially low, arbitrary and subject to the political whims of Washington, D.C. Establishing Medicare rates as the default payment for a public option guarantees that many physician practices will not be able to serve patients enrolled in it, despite the desire they may have to do so."</em>
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://stateofreform.com/featured/2019/01/physicians-concerned-about-pegging-reimbursement-to-medicare-in-public-option/?utm_source=State+of+Reform&amp;utm_campaign=5439604ed0-5+Things+WA+July+2_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_37897a186e-5439604ed0-251935633">Read the full statement</a>. As with all legislative proposals, the devil will lie in the details, which won't be available until the bill is introduced during the upcoming state legislative session. As with other system reform bills in recent legislative sessions, the WSMA will consider the proposal through the lens of our <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Advocacy/Health_Care_Reform/WSMA/Advocacy/Health_Care_Reform/Health_Care_Reform.aspx?hkey=2aaaa22e-ca09-4919-89ea-32885fc38296">10 principles for health care reform</a>. We will keep members apprised of bill details once available.
</p>
</div> | 1/9/2019 12:19:50 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| join_your_physician_and_pa_colleagues_in_olympia_for_the_2019_wsma_legislative_summit | Doctors' day on the Hill is almost here! Join your colleagues at the 2019 Legislative Summit | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181212/join_your_physician_and_pa_colleagues_in_olympia_for_the_2019_wsma_legislative_summit | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/LS_2018.01.166-645px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>January 9, 2018
</h5>
<h2>Doctors' day on the Hill is almost here! Join your colleagues at the 2019 Legislative Summit</h2>
<p>
Please consider taking time out of your busy schedule to attend the 2019 WSMA Legislative Summit, Thursday, Feb. 7. Your opinions matter to state legislators and policymakers. This is your chance to come to the state capital, gain insight into how we translate WSMA policy into actual action with legislators, and make your voice heard by meeting with lawmakers directly.
</p>
<p>
Our work in Olympia is key to advancing the interests of physicians and patients in the state. As WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom points out:
</p>
<p>
<em>"No one knows better than our members what goes on in an exam room, and we rely on them to provide an accurate picture of how these issues really affect the practice of medicine and their patients, who are their constituents!" </em>
</p>
<p>
Recognizing that your time is valuable, the event is free to attend, and we provide lunch. WSMA's legislative team will provide details on our top advocacy issues and updates on important campaigns and will help to schedule personal meetings with your legislators in the afternoon.
</p>
<p>
If you have a white coat, wear it! The visual message of physicians, physician assistants and medical students united in support of the profession and patients will be a powerful one.
</p>
<p>
Help us make our voice heard! Join us in Olympia on Feb. 7. <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx?hkey=ec5e0510-cee2-4aa9-b549-905d63952454">Register online today</a>.
</p>
<p>A special thanks to our corporate partners—exclusive premier partner <a href="http://www.phyins.com/">Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company</a>, and silver partners <a href="http://www.premera.com/">Premera Blue Cross</a>, <a href="https://www.fchn.com/default.aspx?">First Choice Health</a>, <a href="http://www.hallrender.com/">Hall Render</a>, and <a href="https://www.wpmgcareers.org/">Washington Permanente Medical Group</a>—for helping WSMA make this event free for WSMA and WSMGMA members.</p>
</div> | 12/12/2018 12:14:48 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| state_radiological_society_introduces_website_for_new_breast_density_notification_law | Reminder: Breast density notification law now in effect | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181212/state_radiological_society_introduces_website_for_new_breast_density_notification_law | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/stock_doc_female_mammogram_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>January 9, 2019</h5>
<h2>Reminder: Breast density notification law now in effect</h2>
<p>
Starting Jan. 1, health care facilities are required to share information with mammography patients on their breast density. The Department of Health has issued a <a href="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/381c2b109dc0809662b7cd0da/files/e3b3b4de-ee60-4474-b07c-88846a7769b9/SH5084_Breast_Density_Practitioner_Notice_Final.pdf" target="_blank">practitioner notice </a> with guidance on the new requirement. For further assistance, the Washington State Radiological Society and its Breast Imaging Task Force have created a website to provide information about the new law for both physician and patients. The website features frequently asked questions from patients, technologists, physicians, and providers on the medical care related to breast cancer screening, as well as information about breast cancer risk and risk reduction. Visit the new online resource at <a href="https://www.WA-densebreastanswers.org">www.WA-densebreastanswers.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 12/12/2018 12:13:44 PM | 1/9/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_reports_physician_advocates_are_vital_to_wsmas_legislative_success | WSMA Reports: Physician advocates are vital to WSMA's legislative success | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2019/January/wsma_reports_physician_advocates_are_vital_to_wsmas_legislative_success | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/WSMA-Reports%20article%20graphic2018-Jan-Feb.jpg" class="pull-right" /></div>
<h5>January 8, 2019</h5>
<h2>Physician advocates are vital to WSMA's legislative success</h2>
<p>
By Marcia Frellick
</p>
<p>
<em>The following article was our featured cover story in the January/February 2019 issue of WSMA Reports, WSMA's print newsletter. WSMA Reports is a benefit of membership. Non-members may <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/Publications.aspx?hkey=8f14076c-10b8-48ab-9595-8c256836e393">purchase a subscription</a>.</em>
</p>
<p>
With the 2019 state legislative session looming, thoughts of advocacy are fresh and physicians are among leaders looking for ways to change policies or to protect hard-won gains.
</p>
<p>
Washington physicians who embrace advocacy told WSMA Reports how they got started and why advocacy is important.
</p>
<h3>
Kim Schrier, MD, newly elected to Congress from Washington's 8th District</h3>
<p>
Dr. Schrier, a community pediatrician in Issaquah, said she never had thoughts of running for office until the 2016 election.
</p>
<p>
"When my member of Congress sided with party over the people in our district by voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, hurting thousands in our district, I stepped up to run against him," she said.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Schrier, who has spoken at both the WSMA Legislative Summit and WSMA Annual Meeting, says it's critical that physicians step up and share expert perspectives on health care policy.
</p>
<p>
"Otherwise, we end up working in a system designed by non-physicians that may not work well for patients or doctors," she said.
</p>
<p>
Key health care-related issues facing the state and country need physicians' insight, she said, among them how to cover our uninsured or underinsured, how to address the opioid crisis, and how to expand access to health care in rural communities.
</p>
<p>
She advises physicians to "jump in and encourage your colleagues to join you. Physicians are natural advocates. We go to bat for our patients every day. We are inclined to study the issues and be thoughtful about solutions, to listen respectfully, and to speak up on behalf of our patients."
</p>
<h3>
Nariman Heshmati, MD, outgoing chair, Washington Medical Political Action Committee (WAMPAC)</h3>
<p>
In addition to his role with WAMPAC, WSMA's nonpartisan campaign arm, Dr. Heshmati is chair of the surgery section and a member of the clinical leadership board at The Everett Clinic and chief of women's and children's services at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Heshmati first got involved in advocacy nearly 20 years ago when he joined a political action committee as a medical student and started going to lobbying days. He saw the need to go beyond just what the patient needs at the moment and look ahead to making the system better for that patient and all others later on.
</p>
<p>
Physicians are uniquely qualified to speak on patient care, he said.
</p>
<p>
"We're not speaking on behalf of insurance companies," he emphasized. "We sometimes don't realize how much our opinions, voiced in unison, matter. It's a trusted opinion and we have to utilize that to make positive changes."
</p>
<p>
Time is always going to be a struggle for physicians, he acknowledged, but advocacy can also save time by changing the cause of inefficiencies, such as problems with electronic medical records, extensive regulations, and prior authorizations.
</p>
<p>
"You can make that system better and more efficient and then you'll have more time," Dr. Heshmati said.
</p>
<h3>
Avanti Bergquist, MD, child psychiatrist</h3>
<p>
Dr. Bergquist of Renton, a psychiatrist with Eating Recovery Center and Seattle Children's Hospital, got interested in advocacy when she saw the impact her husband, a public school teacher, could have when he was elected representative in Washington's 11th Legislative District in 2012. That was also the year she finished her child psychiatry fellowship.
</p>
<p>
Through the training they got in running a campaign (the Bergquists attended the American Medical Association's AMPAC Candidate Workshop, which teaches doctors how to run a political campaign) and her husband's election, she saw how one constituent and one legislator being interested in something important can make a huge difference.
</p>
<p>
Legislators need to hear from the experts to make informed decisions, she said. In her case, she worked on a state committee that advocated expanding the scope of a phone line offered by the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital. The service helps physicians treating children with mental health issues since there is a severe shortage of child psychiatrists in the state.
</p>
<p>
Her advocacy work led her to run for election to her local school board, where she is now serving in her second year.
</p>
<p>
Advocacy has had a personal benefit as well. "This has really resolved my burnout," she said. "I'm helping patients and families in my direct clinical work but I was also able to make a positive impact on a much bigger scale. In clinical work, we get frustrated by red tape, but once I understood the policies and how to make a change, it's really helped me."
</p>
<h3>
Judy Kimelman, MD, an OB-GYN in private practice</h3>
<p>
Dr. Kimelman, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Seattle, works with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the state and national level.
</p>
<p>
At the state level, she has helped organize the state chapter's lobbying day in Olympia, which helps mobilize advocacy for legislation that supports women's reproductive health issues. She teaches physicians the right and wrong way to lobby and how to navigate the legislative process. She even created a video, "Lobbying: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," on the process (available on YouTube).
</p>
<p>
On the national level, she meets with members of Congress on specific issues and has joined national lobbying efforts.
</p>
<p>
Her advocacy work started with efforts to try to stop nuclear proliferation when she was an undergraduate at Berkeley. Then at Stanford Medical School, she helped organize students across the country to advocate for change.
</p>
<p>
Later in practice, she saw colleagues struggling in the medical malpractice crisis.
</p>
<p>
"People were practicing so much defensive medicine, it didn't feel like good medicine," she said.
</p>
<p>
She contacted the WSMA to see what could be done with tort reform.
</p>
<p>
"That reinvigorated my desire to be involved in advocacy," she said. "We know the medicine and we know the science and it's important to use the authority that the MD or DO behind our name gives us to tell legislators why a bill is important or why it's important that it not pass."
</p>
<h3>
MOC law is evidence advocacy works</h3>
<p>
Kathryn Kolan, JD, director of legislative and regulatory affairs for the WSMA, said physicians need to be ahead of legislators in formulating policy or they will be governed by rules set by those with no experience in health care.
</p>
<p>
She added that she has seen physician input repeatedly result in policy change. One of the most recent examples was the law passed in the last state legislative session on maintenance of certification.
</p>
<p>
Physicians in the WSMA House of Delegates fought against MOC being a condition of licensure. The policy was adopted by WSMA in October 2017 and in January 2018, the state legislature passed the bill.
</p>
<p>
"Translating the patient and physician experience to policymaking is vital," she said.
</p>
<p>
<em>Marcia Frellick is a freelance journalist who specializes in health care topics.<br />
</em>
</p>
<div class="AsiInformation">
<h3><strong>What you can do</strong></h3>
<p>
Physician advocates offer these tips for taking action on advocacy.
</p>
<ul>
<li>Attend the annual WSMA Legislative Summit. The next one is Feb. 7 in Olympia. <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx">Register online today</a>.</li>
<li>Enroll in the American Medical Association's <a href="http://www.ampaconline.org/political-education/ampac-candidate-workshop/">AMPAC Candidate Workshop</a>, which teaches doctors how to run a political campaign.</li>
<li>Connect with one legislator or policymaker who shares your interest on a particular topic.</li>
<li>Be patient, as change is often slow. Developing relationships is a good first step.</li>
<li>Write letters to the editor of your newspaper.</li>
<li>Post opinions on social media.</li>
<li>Call or email legislators.</li>
<li>Write a check to political action committees doing the work you support.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div> | 1/8/2019 3:40:49 PM | 1/8/2019 12:00:00 AM |
| governors_2019_budget_proposal_the_good_the_good_and_the_ugly | Governor's 2019 budget proposal: The Good, the Good, and the Ugly | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/governors_2019_budget_proposal_the_good_the_good_and_the_ugly | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/Stock.image_2017.WA.State.Capitol.Building_Double-645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
December 26, 2018
</h5>
<h2>Governor's 2019 budget proposal: The Good, the Good, and the Ugly</h2>
<p>
Gov. Inslee has released his state budget proposal for the two-year period beginning on July 1. While the $54.4 billion spending plan contains strong investments in behavioral health and primary care (including a long-sought increase in Medicaid reimbursements), it comes with a significant price tag for physician practices.
</p>
<h3>The good</h3>
<p>
The governor's budget proposal features an impressive $874.5 million in health care investments, with major provisions to further the state's efforts at integrating behavioral health and primary care, including:
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>$675 million to address mental and behavioral health treatment</strong>. Provisions would be made for improvements of state mental and behavioral health facilities, additional beds for patients with mental, behavioral health, and substance use disorders, and the creation of five new psychiatric residencies at the University of Washington.</li>
<li><strong>$56.6 million in state funds and $142.9 million in federal funds to increase Medicaid payments for adult and pediatric primary care</strong>. This proposal appears to mirror the two-year primary care reimbursement rate increase our state saw under the Affordable Care Act in 2013-14 and reflects an increase to 83 percent of Medicare rates, according to the governor's office. The budget also includes $9.1 million in state funds and $27.7 million in federal funds to increase the Medicaid rate paid for mental and behavioral health and psychotherapy codes.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Other budget highlights include $22 million to help stabilize public health, $100,000 to improve the prescription monitoring program, and $8.9 million to cover the projected revenue shortfall if the Legislature raises the legal age for tobacco products to 21.
</p>
<h3>
The bad</h3>
<p>
The governor proposes $3.7 billion in tax increases to fund his investments; among them is a stinger for physician practices—<strong>a 67 percent increase in the business and occupation tax, from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent</strong>. This increase will disproportionally impact our state's already shrinking supply of solo and independent practices, which often run on very slim margins, making any tax increase costly to physicians and patient care.
</p>
<p>
Many of our members will know this is not our first time at this particular rodeo, with our elected officials proposing B&amp;O tax increases on several occasions in the recent past—and the WSMA successfully fighting back each attempt. As we did then, the WSMA will vigorously oppose this provision in the governor's budget.
</p>
<p>It's worth keeping in mind that Gov. Inslee's budget proposal is just that—a proposal. It gives the governor an opportunity for his office to highlight priority issues and set the stage for budget negotiations that will unfold during the legislative session, which begins in January. It also tends to be something of a high-water mark, as the final budget adopted by the Legislature is almost certain to be more modest in terms of spending and taxes.
</p>
<p>
As the session unfolds, we'll keep you posted on developments in the Membership Memo. For more up-to-the minute news, visit and bookmark our online&nbsp;<a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/News_Publications/Latest_News/Advocacy_Report/WSMA/News_Publications/Newsletters/WSMA_Advocacy_Report.aspx?hkey=fbce906b-dbfb-4af3-8790-11f84275cf1e">Advocacy Report</a>. If you're interested in participating more directly in our advocacy work during the upcoming session, plan now to attend the 2019 WSMA Legislative Summit, our annual "lobby day on the Hill" for the physician community, scheduled for Feb. 7 in Olympia. The event is free for members—learn more and <a href="mailto:https://wsma.org/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx?hkey=ec5e0510-cee2-4aa9-b549-905d63952454">register online</a>.
</p>
</div> | 12/26/2018 12:47:35 PM | 12/26/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_pushes_back_on_state_plans_to_raise_physician_licensure_fees | WSMA pushes back on state plans to raise physician licensure fees | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/wsma_pushes_back_on_state_plans_to_raise_physician_licensure_fees | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/steth-money-645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
December 26, 2018
</h5>
<h2>WSMA pushes back on state plans to raise physician licensure fees</h2>
<p>
The WSMA has met with leadership of the Washington Medical Commission to express our deep concerns over a substantial proposed increase in license renewal fees for physicians and physician assistants, which, while subject to rulemaking and a public comment period, could go into effect as soon as late 2019.
</p>
<p>
The proposal would raise physicians' renewal fees 54 percent (from $657 to $1020) and physician assistants' renewal fees 96 percent (from $202 to $396). According to the commission, the proposed increases are due in part by a decline in the number of licensees and higher discipline and overhead costs. The commission has said that the fee increase is intended to obviate the need for further increases for the next 10 years.
</p>
<p>
Washington Medical Commission Executive Director Melanie de Leon and Deputy Executive Director Micah Matthews recently met with the WSMA board of trustees to discuss the commission's proposal. Following the meeting, the WSMA, in <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/Newsletters/2018/WMC_Fee_increase_ltr_112818.pdf]">a comment letter to the commission</a>, expressed its strong opposition to the proposed fee increase, citing concerns about the physician and PA communities' ability to absorb such a dramatic increase in their fees and questioning the commission's reasoning behind the proposal.
</p>
<p>
In the letter, WSMA President Dr. Tom Schaaf also pointed to WSMA's belief that "such a fee increase could put the Medical Commission in the position of subsidizing the costs of other professions." Dr. Schaaf cited an <a href="http://www.sao.wa.gov/state/Documents/PA_Aligning_Healthcare_Professional_Fees_ar1022690.pdf" target="_blank">audit released in late November</a> from the Washington State Auditor's Office and supported by the WSMA, which revealed that, contrary to state law, revenues collected by the Department of Health from some health care professions have been cross-subsidizing the costs of licensing other professions.
</p>
<p>
The commission's proposal is preliminary; however, we do expect the agency to move forward with the proposal, with formal rulemaking to be released as early as mid-2019 and adoption of the fee increase potentially by the end of 2019. WSMA members are advised that licensure fee setting is done through a truncated rulemaking process—meaning that when the proposal is released by the commission, there will only be one opportunity for the WSMA and the physician community to provide feedback.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA is working with the commission to ensure that our members are given ample time and information on the rulemaking proposal to provide input. We will likely have more information on the issue in January. If you have any questions, please contact Hailey Hamilton at <a href="mailto:hailey@wsma.org">hailey@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 12/26/2018 12:44:42 PM | 12/26/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| WSMA_responds_to_Texas_federal_court_ACA_ruling | WSMA responds to Texas federal court ACA ruling | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2018/December/WSMA_responds_to_Texas_federal_court_ACA_ruling | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/gavel_steth_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>December 26, 2018</h5>
<h2>
WSMA responds to Texas federal court ACA ruling
</h2>
<p>In the latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act, a suit filed in a federal district court in Texas, the judge hearing the case delivered an opinion which found the health care reform law unconstitutional. WSMA President Tom Schaaf, MD, responding to the judge's opinion, issued the following statement: </p>
<p>"This decision threatens to turn back the clock to a time in our country when double-digit uninsured rates were the norm and when millions of Americans were at risk of being denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition. It would undo the tremendous amount of work done here in Washington state to extend coverage to hundreds of thousands through the expansion of Medicaid and establishment of the state exchange. We hope for a swift close to this chapter and urge policymakers to look forward, not backward, toward solutions that help ensure our patients have access to comprehensive, affordable health care coverage."</p>
<p>While the WSMA is disappointed by the court’s decision, the issue is not settled, and likely won’t be until 2020 at the earliest, when the case could be heard by the Supreme Court. </p>
<p>We will update you as the appeals process progresses. For more information on this decision, contact Tierney Edwards at <a href="mailto:tee@wsma.org">tee@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 12/18/2018 10:27:14 AM | 12/26/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_seeks_delay_in_potentially_burdensome_hca_change_to_home_health_and_dme_orders | WSMA seeks delay in potentially burdensome HCA change to home health and DME orders | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181226/wsma_seeks_delay_in_potentially_burdensome_hca_change_to_home_health_and_dme_orders | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/Stock.image.2018.Fmdoctor_w_clipboard_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
December 26, 2018
</h5>
<h2>WSMA seeks delay in potentially burdensome HCA change to home health and DME orders</h2>
<p>
The WSMA is seeking to delay the Jan. 1 effective date of a new state Health Care Authority Apple Health (Medicaid) policy regarding home health services and durable medical equipment that threatens to increase the administrative burden on physicians.
</p>
<p>
As reported in the <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181128/apple_health_change_to_home_health_and_medical_equipment_prescriptions">Nov. 28 Membership Memo</a>, the HCA has amended its rules for home health services and medical equipment to align with federal law. Under the new policy, starting Jan. 1, only physicians will be authorized to order home health services and medical equipment for Apple Health patients—advance registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants wishing to place a home health or DME order will be required to have a physician's signature.
</p>
<p>
WSMA's concerns over these changes are essentially twofold:
</p>
<ul>
<li>A requirement to have physicians review home health and DME orders by ARNPs and PAs to confirm medical necessity is administratively burdensome, adding more tasks for busy physicians to absorb, even if there is a mechanism whereby physicians can bill for that activity. This requirement impedes the delivery of care and appears contrary to the spirit of the current administration's "<a href="mailto:https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20180725/new_cms_rule_proposes_significant_changes_to_medicare_billing_and_documentation">Patients Over Paperwork</a>" initiative.</li>
<li>The requirement does not appear to address the reality that here in Washington, ARNPs have independent practice authority, and in many practice settings, ARNPs in independent practice have little or no oversight by a physician and therefore are not positioned to comply with this requirement.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The WSMA is seeking an opportunity with HCA leadership to, at least, forestall temporarily the Jan. 1 implementation of these policy changes. This would allow time to explore with both the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services and the HCA the feasibility of addressing these two concerns in a more reasoned manner and timeframe, particularly in view of the holiday period when communications among parties will be impeded by vacation schedules.
</p>
<p>
We will keep you apprised of further developments. For questions, contact Bob Perna at <a href="mailto:rjp@wsma.org">rjp@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 12/26/2018 12:49:28 PM | 12/26/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| hhs_seeking_feedback_on_strategy_to_reduce_ehr_burden | HHS seeking feedback on strategy to reduce EHR burden | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181212/hhs_seeking_feedback_on_strategy_to_reduce_ehr_burden | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/stock_doc_male_w_tablet_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
December 20, 2018
</h5>
<h2>HHS seeking feedback on strategy to reduce EHR and health IT burden</h2>
<p>
As part of the wide-ranging medical innovation bill known as the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a strategy to reduce the burdens related to electronic health records and health information technology. After a period of stakeholder input, the federal agency, working with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), has <a href="https://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/health-it/strategy-on-reducing-regulatory-and-administrative-burden-relating-to-the-use-of-health-it-and-ehrs-released-for-public-comment">released its draft strategy</a> and is now seeking public feedback.
</p>
<p>
The draft strategy outlines three overarching goals designed to reduce clinician burden:
</p>
<ol>
<li>Reduce the effort and time required to record health information in EHRs.</li>
<li>Reduce the effort and time required to meet regulatory reporting requirements for clinicians, hospitals, and health care organizations.</li>
<li>Improve the functionality and intuitiveness (ease of use) of EHRs.</li>
</ol>
<p>
Visit the <a href="https://www.healthit.gov/topic/usability-and-provider-burden/strategy-reducing-burden-relating-use-health-it-and-ehrs?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=a49fd7d4af-MR_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-a49fd7d4af-149551285">ONC website to review the draft and submit your comments</a>. The deadline for public feedback is 8:59 p.m. PT on Jan. 28. </p>
<p>
The WSMA is coordinating with the AMA to review and provide feedback on this proposal. For questions, contact Bob Perna at <a href="mailto:rjp@wsma.org">rjp@wsma.org</a>. HHS/ONC will publish the final version in late 2019.
</p>
</div> | 12/12/2018 11:57:53 AM | 12/20/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_invited_to_senate_committee_for_presentation_on_better_prescribing_better_treatment | WSMA invited to Senate committee for presentation on Better Prescribing, Better Treatment | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181212/wsma_invited_to_senate_committee_for_presentation_on_better_prescribing_better_treatment | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/BPBT_logo_645px.png" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
December 12, 2018
</h5>
<h2>WSMA joins governor's office for Senate committee presentation on Better Prescribing, Better Treatment</h2>
<p>
<a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Resources/Clinical_Quality/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance.aspx#bpbt">Better Prescribing, Better Treatment</a>, the physician-led safe prescribing effort that's part of the state opioid response plan, is showing <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Press_Releases/2018/Public-private_safe_prescribing_initiative_results_in_reductions_in_Medicaid_opioid_prescriptions.aspx">dramatic results in its first year</a>. To speak to the initiative's success and plans for the future, the WSMA recently joined the governor's office for a panel presentation before the Senate Health &amp; Long Term Care Committee.
</p>
<p>
Representing the WSMA for the discussion was the prescribing initiative's lead architect, Dr. Nathan Schlicher, WSMA's 1st vice president and member of the WSMA/WSHA Joint Opioid Safe Practices Task Force. Watch the hearing, and Dr. Schlicher's presentation, <a href="https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018111061">here</a>.
</p>
<p>
Many thanks to Dr. Schlicher for his testimony before lawmakers and his tremendous efforts making the launch of Better Prescribing, Better Treatment a success. Plan are underway to expand Better Prescribing, Better Treatment's data-leveraging strategy to all opioid prescribers in the state—<a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Resources/Clinical_Quality/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance/WSMA/Resources/Clinical_Quality/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance.aspx?hkey=1f82f660-18a4-4be3-bb2f-6b454b6eb7cd">learn more about this effort and how you can assist</a>.
</p>
<p>
As in the above example, the WSMA's advocacy is bolstered by physician expertise. If you have an issue you're passionate about and would be willing to lend your expertise in a public hearing, contact Katie Kolan at <a href="mailto:kak@wsma.org">kak@wsma.org</a>.</p>
</div> | 12/12/2018 12:09:40 PM | 12/12/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| 2019_state_of_reform_health_policy_conference_wsma_members_receive_20_percent_discount | 2019 State of Reform Health Policy Conference: WSMA members receive 20% discount | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181128/2019_state_of_reform_health_policy_conference_wsma_members_receive_20_percent_discount | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/StateofReform_logo_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
November 28, 2018
</h5>
<h2>2019 State of Reform Health Policy Conference: WSMA members receive 20% discount</h2>
<p>
The Washington State of Reform Health Policy Conference is the state's largest, most diverse convenings of senior health care executives and health policy leaders. The all-day event, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 10 at the Westin Hotel in Seattle, features industry experts and policymakers, covering the most complex issues facing health care today.
</p>
<p>
This year, WSMA members get a 20 percent discount on the conference registration fee. Visit the <a href="https://stateofreform.com/conference/2019-washington-state-of-reform-health-policy-conference/">State of Reform website</a> for event details. To receive the discount, just enter WSMA20 when registering.
</p>
</div> | 11/28/2018 12:33:04 PM | 11/28/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| hca_publishes_guidance_on_new_adult_hearing_benefit | HCA publishes guidance on new adult hearing benefit | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181128/hca_publishes_guidance_on_new_adult_hearing_benefit | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/hearing_aid_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
November 28, 2018
</h5>
<h2>HCA publishes guidance on new adult hearing benefit</h2>
<p>
During the 2018 legislative session, the WSMA helped to pass Senate Bill 5179, requiring Medicaid and public-employee health plans to cover hearing aids and related accessories. The state Health Care Authority has updated its website with information on this new benefit in anticipation of coverage, which begins Jan. 1.
</p>
<p>
Under the legislation, patients 21 and older who meet specific hearing loss criteria may be eligible for the following:
</p>
<ul>
<li>One hearing aid every five years.</li>
<li>A second hearing aid when specific criteria are met.</li>
<li>Repair and replacement of hearing aids.</li>
<li>Hearing aid related services and supplies.</li>
<li>Repairs to external components of cochlear implants and bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) devices.</li>
</ul>
<p>
For further guidance, including billing updates, visit the <a href="https://www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/apple-health-medicaid/adult-hearing-benefit">HCA's new dedicated webpage</a> on the new benefit.
</p>
</div> | 11/28/2018 12:31:06 PM | 11/28/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| registration_begins_friday_for_the_2019_wsma_legislative_summit | Registration begins Friday for the 2019 WSMA Legislative Summit | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181128/registration_begins_friday_for_the_2019_wsma_legislative_summit | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/LS_2018.01.166-645px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
November 28, 2018
</h5>
<h2>Registration begins Friday for the 2019 WSMA Legislative Summit</h2>
<p>
WSMA staff are busy finalizing the agenda for the 2019 Legislative Summit, WSMA's annual physicians' day on the Hill, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 7 in Olympia. Reserve your spot for this morning session by <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx">registering online</a> starting this Friday. The meeting is free for all WSMA members and members of the Washington State Medical Group Management Association.
</p>
<p>
Each year at the WSMA Legislative Summit, physicians, physician assistants and practice staff gather in Olympia at the Capitol to learn about important issues before the Legislature and to meet with their legislators to discuss how lawmaking impacts physicians, patients, and the profession.
</p>
<p>
At the 2019 Summit, you will:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Hear some of the state's top health care leaders give their perspectives on the landscape of health care in Washington and what they see going forward.</li>
<li>Find out which legislative and budget items the WSMA believes will benefit most from your support.</li>
<li>Receive coaching on how to meet with legislators and effectively deliver our message.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Lunch will be provided, followed by personal meetings with your legislators (optional) in the afternoon, scheduled on your behalf by WSMA staff.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA has a powerful voice in Olympia. Attend the 2019 Legislative Summit and help us make our voice heard as we work to shape the future of medicine and advance quality care in Washington state. <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx">Learn more and register online</a>.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA would like to thank our corporate partners for their generous support: Exclusive Premier Partner <a href="https://www.phyins.com/">Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company</a>, and Silver Partners <a href="https://www.premera.com/wa/visitor/">Premera Blue Cross</a>, <a href="https://www.fchn.com/">First Choice Health</a>, <a href="http://www.hallrender.com/">Hall Render</a>, and <a href="https://www.wpmgcareers.org/">Washington Permanente Medical Group</a>.
</p>
</div> | 11/28/2018 11:53:35 AM | 11/28/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| understanding_and_preparing_for_new_opioid_prescribing_rules | New opioid prescribing rules: Start preparing today | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181114/understanding_and_preparing_for_new_opioid_prescribing_rules | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/Opiod_Clinical_Guidance_prescription_pad_645px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
November 28, 2018
</h5>
<h2>New opioid prescribing rules: Start preparing today</h2>
<p>
New opioid prescribing rules for Washington state prescribing professions, prompted by House Bill 1427 and shaped by more than a year of stakeholder input, have been adopted. The following guidance from the WSMA can assist members, both physicians and physician assistants (allopathic and osteopathic), in understanding, preparing for, and succeeding under these new requirements.
</p>
<p>
The comprehensive rules represent a significant change in how opioids are prescribed. Key provisions applicable to all prescribing physicians and PAs include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>A seven-day pill limit for acute prescriptions and 14 days for acute operative pain, with an exemption to these limits when clinical judgment is documented in the medical record. </li>
<li>A specific care plan and documentation requirements for each phase of pain. </li>
<li>Mandated registration and targeted checks of the prescription drug monitoring program.</li>
<li>Required continuing medical education on opioid prescribing. </li>
</ul>
<p>
As the state's regulatory bodies adopted under their own authority, there are several differences between the rules for each profession. For allopathic physicians and physician assistants, the new prescribing rules go into effect Jan. 1; new rules for osteopathic physicians and PAs went into effect on Nov. 1. For more on the differing requirements between Washington Medical Commission and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery rulemaking, see this <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/631073-OverviewHandout-Pharmacy.pdf?ver=2018-10-04-151450-403">Table of Differences</a> from the Department of Health.
</p>
<p>
How to prepare:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Register to attend WSMA's free one-hour webinar, Understanding New State Opioid Prescribing Rules, on Wednesday, Dec. 19, noon–1 p.m., designed to help you understand how to comply with the new requirements. <a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1349059379828828930">Register for the webinar online</a>. This activity has been approved for <em>AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™</em>. Attendance will fulfill the new state requirement for continuing medical education on opioid prescribing.
</li>
<li>
Set up your account with Washington state's prescription monitoring program, <a href="http://www.wapmp.org/">Prescription Review</a>. Prescription Review uses a secure platform to allow a prescribing physician to access crucial patient information before prescribing, such as duplicate prescribing, misuse, drug interactions, and other potential concerns. Don't wait until the last minute—get started today setting up your account. The DOH website has a <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/ForPublicHealthandHealthcareProviders/HealthcareProfessionsandFacilities/PrescriptionMonitoringProgramPMP#dnn_ctr32065_FAQs_lstFAQs_Q2_0">section with instructions for physicians, including video tutorials</a>.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Also: The WSMA has joined the Washington State Hospital Association to reach out to hospital and health system leaders, encouraging them to work with their IT departments to build edits and prompts into electronic health records that assist clinicians with compliance under the rules.
</p>
<p>
For more information on the new rules and other WSMA efforts to assist physicians and other clinicians with safe opioid prescribing, visit the WSMA's <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Resources/Clinical_Quality/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance/WSMA/Resources/Clinical_Quality/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance/Opioid_Clinical_Guidance.aspx?hkey=1f82f660-18a4-4be3-bb2f-6b454b6eb7cd">Opioid Clinical Guidance webpage</a>.
</p>
</div> | 11/14/2018 9:29:08 AM | 11/28/2018 12:00:00 AM |
| A_closer_look__Gun_violence_policies_adopted_by_WSMA_House_of_Delegates | A closer look: Gun violence policies adopted by WSMA House of Delegates | Advocacy | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20181114/A_closer_look__Gun_violence_policies_adopted_by_WSMA_House_of_Delegates | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Concepts/gun_storage_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
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<h5>
November 14, 2018
</h5>
<h2>A closer look: Gun violence policies adopted by WSMA House of Delegates</h2>
<p>In the wake of two horrific mass shooting events - the killing of twelve people by a gunman in Thousand Oaks, Calif. and the massacre by a gunman of 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue - it's worth pausing a moment to consider the physicians and providers who have a front-row seat to the carnage created by gun violence. Physicians work tirelessly to reduce the impact of gun violence on bodies, and here in Washington state, they are also working to reduce the frequency of gun violence by seeking policy changes at the federal, state, and local level.</p>
<p>During last month's WSMA Annual Meeting, the WSMA House of Delegates adopted a total of 10 new policies related to gun violence (Resolutions C-9 through 14). They are: </p>
<ul>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA advocate for measures to reduce gun violence. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support the elimination of laws intruding on physicians’ and patients’ rights to discuss gun violence. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support encouraging physicians and health care workers to discuss safe storage of guns and the association of guns with risk of homicide, accidental shooting, and suicide, and counsel about risk. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support closing loopholes in gun purchases online and at unregulated gun shows. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy that creates weapons-free zones for medical practice settings, allowing exceptions for law enforcement. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy to address firearm-related violence and injury as a public health issue. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy that provides for background checks and waiting periods for the purchase of firearms. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy that will encourage and promote the safe storage of firearms in homes where those firearms are kept. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy that raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 years of age. </li>
<li>RESOLVED, that the WSMA encourage its members to screen for risk factors of firearm injury and educate patients about prevention and safe storage. </li>
</ul>
<p>In addition to those new policies, WSMA delegates also reaffirmed existing policy that calls on the WSMA to support appropriate legislation that would restrict the sale and private ownership of large-clip, high-rate-of-fire automatic and semi-automatic firearms. Finally, WSMA delegates directed the WSMA to urge the state and federal government to fund research on the causes and prevention of firearm violence and injury and ensure that the databases and systems necessary for research and public health surveillance are available and publicly accessible.</p>
<p>Washington's citizens are acting too: during this year's midterm election, voters passed Initiative 1639, which appears to largely align with WSMA policy requiring safe storage and restricting the purchase of firearms under certain circumstances.</p>
<p>The creation of strong policy is at the heart of the WSMA's work, and reflects a commitment from Washington physicians to the health and welfare of patients and communities that extends beyond the exam room. Find all the new policies adopted by the 2018 WSMA House of Delegates on the <a href="[@]WSMA/About/Leadership/House_of_Delegates/House_of_Delegates.aspx">House of Delegates page</a>. For a comprehensive list of House of Delegates policy, review the WSMA Policy Compendium on our <a href="[@]WSMA/About/Policies/Policies.aspx">Policies page</a>.</p>
</div> | 11/9/2018 12:15:02 PM | 11/14/2018 3:00:35 PM |