Recent Blog Postings - MMS Connect

C10: Cloning Policy

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society adopt in lieu of its Cloning policy, reaffirmed for six months at I-20, the following updated policy, set forth in Opinion 4.2.6 of the American Medical Association Code of Ethics, “Cloning for Reproductive Purposes,” which reads as follows: Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process in which the nucleus of a somatic cell of an organism is transferred into an enucleated oocyte. Cloning for reproduction, that is, the application of SCNT to create a human embryo that shares all of its nuclear genes with the donor of the human somatic cell, has been debated as having possible clinical benefit. ...

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C9: Gifts to Physicians from Industry Policy

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society adopt in lieu of its Gifts to Physicians from Industry policy, reaffirmed for six months at I-20, the following updated policy, set forth in Opinion 9.6.2 of the American Medical Association Code of Ethics, “Gifts to Physicians from Industry,” which reads as follows: Relationships among physicians and professional medical organizations and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies help drive innovation in patient care and contribute to the economic well-being of the community to the ultimate benefit of patients and the public. However, an increasingly urgent challenge for both medicine ...

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C7: MMS Dues

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the House of Delegates approve the proposed membership dues for calendar year 2022. Physicians: Current: Proposed: Introductory: $100 $200 Family (two phys. in same household): $225 $275 Regular (second year and beyond): $300 $350 Military: * Dues are exempt if on active military duty Current member price of NEJM Out-of-state: $150 $175 Life Membership Calculated based on age Senior / Emeritus Senior and Emeritus are dues exempt per bylaws Free Free Residents: One-year ...

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C6: Respectful and Equitable Delegate Testimony

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society develop guidelines to require that online written and live-spoken testimony in response to reports and resolutions presented meet the highest ethical standards, and that in their responses, delegates refrain from using language that is demeaning toward its contents or its constituents of any creed, nationality, sexual orientation, and gender, including women physicians. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Estimated Expenses) Estimated Staff Effort to Complete Directive(s): One-Time Expense of $3,500

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C5: Creating a Governance Awareness and Recruitment Campaign to Increase Gender Equity in the MMS House of Delegates

By Leon Barzin

Recommendations: 1. That the House of Delegates operationalize their goal of greater gender equity by aiming for parity in women physician delegates within three years. (D) 2. That the MMS update and distribute educational materials to members regarding the role of the House of Delegates in policy making, with explicit inclusion of benefits associated with gender equity in the creation of strong policy. (D) 3. That the MMS create an internal campaign using existing MMS web/print channels and emails to recruit women physicians for delegate and other medical society leadership positions. (D) 4. That the MMS educate district leadership on specific strategies ...

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C4: Support of Physician, Student, and Patient Participation in Government Elections

By Leon Barzin

1. RESOLVED, That the MMS acknowledges civic voting as a dimension of public health and potential driver of health outcomes; and, be it further (HP) 2. RESOLVED, That the MMS encourage medical schools and entities employing health care professionals to target and facilitate 100 percent eligible employee voter registration; and, be it further (D) 3. RESOLVED, That the MMS improve voting access for MMS members via regular MMS-facilitated dissemination of non-partisan election information for local, state, and national elections, including but not limited to date and polling location reminders, and information regarding registration, absentee ballot request, ...

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C3: Continuing Education in LGBTQ Health

By Leon Barzin

Recommendations: 1. That the MMS collaborate with appropriate governing bodies (e.g., Association of American Medical Colleges, American Council for Graduate Medical Education) to support the requirement of sexual and gender minority (SGM) content in undergraduate and graduate medical education. (D) 2. That the MMS collaborate with appropriate governing bodies (e.g., Board of Registration in Medicine, state legislature) to ensure continuing education requirements include training specific to SGM health. (D) 3. That the MMS work with appropriate specialty societies and governing bodies to ensure continuing education, including training specific to SGM ...

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C2: Establishing an Early Career Physicians Section

By Leon Barzin

Recommendations: 1. That the Massachusetts Medical Society request that the Bylaws be amended as appropriate to create an Early Career Physician Section (ECPS). The ECPS would be composed of all MMS members aged 40 or younger or within the first eight years of practice (whichever occurs later). The purpose of the section would be to provide a forum for networking, mentoring, advocacy, and leadership development for early career physicians in the Commonwealth and provide leadership training opportunities and resources targeting early career physicians. (D) 2. That the MMS Early Career Physician Section (ECPS) be entitled to one delegate in the House of Delegates, ...

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C1: Bylaws Changes

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: 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”): ITEM A BOT Informational Report I-20–1a MMS Committees: FY20 and FY21 Activities and Initiatives CHAPTER 11 • Committees • • • 11.02 Committee Member Selection The members of the Committee on Nominations and the Committee on Legislation shall be appointed by the districts as provided in 3.14 and 11.041. The chair of the Committee on Nominations and the Judicial Committee shall each be selected by the members of ...

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B14: Principles for Physician Employment Policy

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society adopt as amended the Principles for Physician Employment policy adopted at A-13 to reads as follows: HOSPITALS Hospital/Organized Medical Staff/Employed Physicians The Massachusetts Medical Society adopts the following Principles for Physician Employment: Principles for Physician Employment 1. Addressing Conflicts of Interest (a) A physician’s paramount responsibility is to his or her patients. Additionally, an employed physician is likely to feel some sense of obligation to his or her employer. This divided loyalty can create conflicts of interest, such as financial incentives to over- ...

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B13: Optimizing Quality in Preventive Visits in Primary Care through Panel Size and Visit Time Adjustments

By Leon Barzin

1. RESOLVED, That the MMS supports and prioritizes high-quality care at preventive annual well visits, including recommended screening, behavioral health integration, preventive care measures, care coordination, and other individualized care needs, for all populations; and, be it further (HP) 2. RESOLVED, That the MMS advocate to other stakeholders, such as Massachusetts Health Quality Partners and the American Medical Association, to develop updated guidance for reasonable and appropriate panel sizes and optimal visit times for office visits and preventive care visits in all populations, with consideration of existing recommendations for screening, behavioral ...

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B12: Advocating for the Creation of a Single, Comprehensive, Cross-Referenced, EHR-Accessible, Pharmacy Formulary List That Includes All Insurance Companies

By Leon Barzin

1. RESOLVED, That the MMS convene a meeting of commercial health plans and MassHealth stakeholders with the goal of creating a single, comprehensive, online, EMR-accessible, cross-referenced formulary list arranged by drug category that will allow all stakeholders, including the pharmacy, to clearly show which medication of the same class is approved by each individual patient’s insurance plan; and, be it further (D) 2. RESOLVED, That the MMS supports the eventual goal of a single, nationally adopted, pharmacy formulary for all patients, which will allow for further cost savings and reduction of pharmacy time spent on burdensome and unnecessary administrative ...

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B11: Opposition to Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans and Other Insurance Companies to Require Utilization of the Prior Authorization Process for Prescribing Opioid Pharmaceuticals

By Leon Barzin

1. RESOLVED, That the MMS act, including advocating to the commissioner of the Division of Insurance, to oppose attempts by Blue Cross Blue Shield and any other insurance agency to place a preauthorization process into the prescribing of appropriate opioid medication, which is already subject to good clinical practice, science, and the law; and, be it further (D) 2. RESOLVED, That the MMS oppose proposed legislation introducing unnecessary paperwork into the patient-physician relationship especially as it can interfere with timely treatment for acute illnesses. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Estimated Expenses) Estimated Staff Effort to Complete ...

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B10: Instituting Regulations on Large Multispecialty Groups to Prevent Denial of Referrals outside the Company and Pressure on Physicians within the Company to Refer to Company Specialists

By Leon Barzin

Recommendation: That the Massachusetts Medical Society reaffirm the following policy in lieu of Resolution I-19 B-103: The MMS will advocate for a transparent process, including opportunity for an appeal, within alternative payment models and Medicare Advantage to protect physicians from punitive consequences for patient referrals out of network when those referrals are made in order to provide optimal and timely care for patients. (D) The MMS supports protecting the patient’s freedom to choose a physician and a health care delivery system, in order to preserve the patient-physician relationship. (HP) MMS House of Delegates, 4/29/17 Fiscal Note: ...

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B9: Assuring Accessible Peer Review in Billing Appeals

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That our Massachusetts Medical Society advocate to third-party payers that a medical peer should be available as part of the appeals process for claims payment rejection or reduction based on diagnosis and coding payment rules, as well as other non-administrative issues, should a physician request such review. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Estimated Expenses) Estimated Staff Effort to Complete Directive(s): One-Time Expense of $1,500

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B-8: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Physicians and Health Care Systems

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the Massachusetts Medical Society create and promote an online resource that organizes and revises (as needed) the current resources available from state and national medical societies regarding lessons learned and best practices for physicians in private practice in Massachusetts when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics. (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Estimated Expenses) Estimated Staff Effort to Complete Directive(s): One-Time Expense of $3,000

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B7: Supporting Mental Well-Being for Physicians during the COVID-19 Pandemic with a Focus on Women Physicians

By Leon Barzin

Recommendations : That the Massachusetts Medical Society actively promote its current resources for physician mental well-being while developing new resources specific to women in medicine. (D) That the MMS distribute a no cost survey via email to MMS members to identify specific drivers of stress across demographic groups and to develop supportive infrastructures. (D) That the MMS promote existing resources about gender equity in medicine by creating a webpage, and distributing the email link to the page. (D) That the Massachusetts Medical Society advocate for national, institutional, and academic policies that mitigate ...

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B6: Medicare Coverage of Hearing Aids to Mitigate Harms of Presbycusis

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS advocate for Medicare coverage of hearing aids for patients with a diagnosis of presbycusis (D) Fiscal Note: No Significant Impact (Estimated Expenses) Estimated Staff Effort to Complete Directive(s): Ongoing Expense of $1,000

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B5: Unified Medicare

By Leon Barzin

RESOLVED, That the MMS, in an effort to improve Medicare and eliminate the systemic racism in health care caused by the complexity of, and barriers within, the current system, advocate for legislation to consolidate Medicare parts A B C D and F into one Unified Medicare eliminating provider networks, copays, deductibles and coinsurance to ensure access and; be it further (D) RESOLVED , That the MMS, in an effort to eliminate systemic racism in health care caused by business practices like favoring healthy patients, narrowing networks, and having confusing rules that disproportionately negatively impact minorities, advocate for the elimination of Medicare ...

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