Recent Blog Postings - MMS Connect

C1: MMS Annual Strategic Plan

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation : That the Massachusetts Medical Society’s strategic priorities for Fiscal Year 2019–2020 are the following: a focus on physician and patient advocacy, membership value and engagement, and professional knowledge and satisfaction. To advance the Society’s mission and serve the needs of the physician community and their patients, the goals of our one-year strategic plan will be the following: * Physician and Patient Advocacy : As a trusted and respected leadership voice in health care, ensure that the perspectives of physicians and patients are represented at the state and national level on the most important issues impacting ...

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C9: Special Committee Renewals

By Leon Barzin

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C8: Bylaws Changes

By Leon Barzin

THE REPORT The Committee on Bylaws recommends that the House of Delegates approve the following amendments to the Bylaws (except as otherwise noted, added text is shown as “ text ” and deleted text is shown as “ text ”): CWIM Report: A-18 C-2 (Item 1) Establishing a Women Physicians Section CHAPTER 5 • Sections 5.01 Categories of Sections There shall be a Medical Student Section, a Resident and Fellow Section, an Organized Medical Staff Section, an Academic Physician Section , an International Medical Graduate Section , a Minority Affairs Section , and a Women Physicians Section . 5.08 Women Physicians ...

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C7: One Minute of Seated Silence during Each Opening Session

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS create a separate item in the Order of Business at each House of Delegates opening session after the Memorial Resolutions to observe one minute (60 seconds) of seated silence in honor of our deceased colleagues and to promote goodwill going forward with our colleagues and our patients. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Projec

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C6: Medical Student and Resident/Fellow Committee on Nominations Voting Rights

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation : That the relevant MMS Bylaw sections be amended such that all members of the Committee on Nominations, including the Medical Student Section member and the Resident and Fellow Section member, have the right to vote. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Proje

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C5: MMS Former Speakers and House of Delegates Membership

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation : That the Massachusetts Medical Society not adopt Resolution I-17 C-301, which reads as follows: RESOLVED, That the MMS request that the Bylaws be amended as appropriate to designate former speakers of the House of Delegates as ex-officio members of the House of Delegates as long as they remain members of the MMS. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Proje

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C4: Facilitating the Community of Medicine

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the Massachusetts Medical Society create, maintain, and grow a repository for MMS members of potential activities for group experiences to facilitate medical community members and families sharing in collegial activities. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Projec

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C3: Advancing Gender Equity in Medicine

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS adopt the following, which is adapted from American Medical Association policy/directives: That the MMS draft and disseminate a report detailing its positions and recommendations for gender equity in medicine, including clarifying principles for state and specialty societies, academic medical centers, and other entities that employ physicians, to be submitted to the House for consideration at the 2019 Annual Meeting. (D) That the MMS: (a) Promote institutional, departmental, and practice policies, consistent with federal and Massachusetts law, that offer transparent criteria for initial and subsequent physician ...

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C2: Clarification on Specificity and Flexibility of Investment Policy on Fossil Fuels, Climate Change, and Socially Responsible Investments

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS adopt the following, partially adapted from AMA policy: That the MMS, the MMS and Alliance Foundation, and any affiliated corporations or subsidiaries work in a timely, incremental, and fiscally responsible manner, to the extent allowed by their legal and fiduciary duties, to end all financial investments or relationships (divestment) with companies that generate the majority of their income from the exploration for, production of, transportation of, or sale of fossil fuels. (D) That the MMS choose for its commercial relationships, when fiscally responsible, vendors, suppliers, and corporations that have demonstrated ...

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B9: Retraining Immigrant Physicians

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation : That the Massachusetts Medical Society adopt as amended Resolution I-17 B-202, to read as follows: That the MMS encourage the AMA, and any appropriate state or federal agency, to support programs, such as that of Minnesota, throughout the United States to train International Medical Graduate physicians to be able to practice in areas where needed without having to repeat training that may be unnecessary and wasteful of limited resources. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: ...

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B8: Better Utilization of NICU Services

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the Massachusetts Medical Society support the wise use of the NICU and advocate to legislators and insurers for regulations that eliminate medical-insurance obstacles that prevent the transport of stabilized infants to a lower level of neonatal care, when appropriate. (HP) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Projec

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B7: Board of Registration Reporting Practices

By Leon Barzin

1. RESOLVED, That the MMS advocate, when allegations against a physician have been proven to be unsubstantiated, that the Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) be required to remove in totality all allegations from a physician’s BORIM profile and rescind its reporting of same to the National Practitioner Data Bank at the request of the victimized physician; and, be it further (D) RESOLVED, That the MMS advocate for the Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) to remove from the BORIM physician profile and rescind their reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank all trickle-down events that stemmed from the unsubstantiated allegations, ...

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B6: Mitigating the Negative Effects of High-Deductible Health Plans on Patients and Physicians

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation : That the Massachusetts Medical Society advocate for legislation or regulation specifying that codes for outpatient evaluation and management services, including initial and established patient office visits , be exempt from deductible payments, so that insurers will pay the entire usual fee for these codes without triggering any deductible payment by the patient. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Proje

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B5: Elimination of Prior Authorization for Non-opioid Medications and Modalities Prescribed for Pain Management

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED That the Massachusetts Medical Society advocate to expand coverage for evidence-based non-opioid pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management options; and, be it further (D) RESOLVED That the Massachusetts Medical Society advocate for the elimination of prior authorization and other utilization-management obstacles to evidence-based non-opioid pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management options. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete ...

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B4: Elimination by All Massachusetts Health Insurers of All Prior Authorization Requirements When Patients are Prescribed Buprenorphine/Naloxone

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the Massachusetts Medical Society will advocate for the elimination by all Massachusetts health insurers of all prior authorization requirements or other special billing/administrative maneuvers that inhibit patient access to buprenorphine/naloxone. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Projec

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B3: Streamlining the Prior Authorization Process

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the Massachusetts Medical Society expand, and, where appropriate, initiate advocacy efforts to regulators and legislators in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to require pharmacies and other entities responsible for processing and providing patients with prescriptions to provide accurate, complete, and actionable information to prescribing physicians or their agents at the time of notification of prior authorization requirements. Such information must enable Prior Authorization Request submission without further time-consuming and distracting work on the part of the physician or the physician’s agents. (D) Fiscal Note: ...

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B2: Increased Evaluation of Access, Cost, Quality, and Health Outcomes in Direct Primary Care

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS work with relevant stakeholders to study (a) the effects of direct primary care (DPC) across diverse patient populations, with regards to health care access, cost, quality, and health outcomes, (b) these effects in comparison to the fee-for-service model, as well as other payment models, and (c) how DPC impacts care utilization in the broader system involving specialty and other non-primary care. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete ...

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B1: Reauthorizing and Expanding the Conrad Waiver Program

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED , That the MMS will advocate at the federal and/or state level for the expansion of an existing program (known as the “Conrad 30 Waiver”) that waives the two-year residence requirement following completion of a J1 exchange visa for up to thirty (30) physicians per federal fiscal year. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Projec

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A10: Streamlining Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing of Source Patients following an Occupational Exposure

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society not adopt Resolution A-17 A-103 Item 14(b) which reads as follows: That the MMS work with appropriate organizations to advocate removal of mandated informed written consent in the performance of HIV testing, and to utilize HIPAA-appropriate patient notification and counseling in result interpretation. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Out-of-Pocket Expenses) FTE: Existing Staff (Staff Effort to Complete Project

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A9: Urine Drug Screens in Prisoners

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society not adopt Resolution I-17 A-105 which reads as follows: 1. RESOLVED, That the MMS encourages education and training on the appropriate use of urine drug screening and scientifically validated confirmatory testing interpreted by qualified health care practitioners for all administrators, staff, and health care practitioners who administer urine drug screens or initiate legal or punitive action based on urine drug screen results as part of their professional duties; and, be it further (HP) 2. RESOLVED, That the MMS encourages the mandatory use of appropriate, scientifically validated confirmatory testing ...

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