August 25, 2008

'Reform Michigan Government Now' Effort Dies In Appeals Court
Capitol Check-Up Is Around The Corner
WSUSOM 'Med Ed Prep' Draws 270 Potential Medical School Students
Wayne State Hosts Health Care Reform Town Hall Meeting
Children's Hospital Opens Safety Center, Wins Grant, Names Urology Chief
Free Children's Health And Reading Fair
Medicare Fraud Claims Misleading, States OIG Report
NPR's 'Morning Edition' Looks At Candidate's Health Spending Plans

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'Reform Michigan Government Now' Effort Dies In Appeals Court

The Michigan Court of Appeals on August 20 shot down the Reform Michigan Government Now (RMGN) ballot initiative that threatened the make-up of the Supreme Court—and hence, tort reform laws—among other things. The Court ordered the Secretary of State and Board of State Canvassers to reject the petition to put this proposal on the ballot in November.

The RMGN proposal was brought forth by a coalition is seeking to amend a significant portion of the Michigan Constitution, including reducing the size of the Supreme Court by removing the two justices with the least seniority: Justices Steven Markman and Robert Young. Many political observers theorized that the reconfiguration of the court was the key element of this proposal and was included with a number of “populist” reforms in order to appeal broadly to the electorate.

If this reduction would have happened, it could have negatively impacted the hard-fought tort reforms that were enacted in 1994. The Supreme Court currently includes a majority of justices who hold a strict constructionist philosophy—including Justices Markman, Young, and Chief Justice Cliff Taylor, who is up for re-election this fall. Many of the cases that have upheld the tort reform laws in Michigan are decided by a vote of 4-3 with the majority including Justices Markman and Taylor, for example. Therefore, the elimination of these positions would be devastating in future rulings related to medical liability.

Because the ruling is likely be appealed, the only remaining hurdle will be getting past the Supreme Court, which could either overturn or affirm the lower court’s ruling. MSMS will continue to monitor these developments and keep members informed through email, Medigram and www.msms.org.

For more information, contact Colin Ford at MSMS at 517-336-5737 or cford@msms.org.

Protect Tort Reform: Support Chief Justice Taylor
This ballot effort shows how important it is to protect our nation-leading tort reforms from attack. The MDPAC Board of Directors already has endorsed the candidacy of Chief Justice Cliff Taylor. MDPAC emphasizes to MSMS members, MSMS Alliance members and Michigan Medical Group Management members that it is vital to support Justice Taylor, and asks them to encourage their colleagues to do so, as well.

One way to show support for Justice Taylor is by displaying a yard sign. MDPAC has a large supply of signs available for distribution. For more information, or to join MDPAC, contact Joshua Richmond at 517-336-5788 or jrichmond@msms.org. Also, visit www.mdpac.org.

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Capitol Check-Up Is Around The Corner

Thursday, September 25, 2008
Radisson Hotel • Lansing, MI

With state and national elections just around the corner, this year’s Capitol Check-Up will provide you with up-to-minute information about the current state of affairs in Lansing, the latest legislation being considered and what impact current and future legislation could have on the medical profession.

MSMS will be scheduling visits with legislators prior to the formal program. This is your chance to let your legislator know how current issues are affecting you personally in your day-to-day practice. Take this opportunity to meet with your local legislator and share your thoughts on pending legislation. MSMS will provide briefing materials to assist you in your meetings.

Who Should Attend:Physicians, practice administrators, health care professionals, and government officials

Time:12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Fees:$10

Click Here To Register Now!

Join legislators and public health officials to explore topics on:

· Future of Medicaid

· Michigan Department of Community Health Update

· 2008 Elections

· Emerging Health Care Issues

· Pending Legislation

Confirmed Speakers, to date:

· Senator Tom George, MD (R-District 20)

· Senator Roger Kahn, MD (R-District 32)

· Senator Michael Switalski (D- District 10)

· Senator Deborah Cherry (D- District 26)

· Representive Marc Corriveau (D-District 20)

· Representive Brian Calley (R-District 87)

· Representive John Proos (R- District 79)

· Mr. John Truscott, The John Truscott Group

· Janet Olszewski, Director MDCH)

· Greg Holzman, MD, State Chief Medical Executive

· Anne Corgan, Michigan Department of State

4 Easy Ways to Register:
Online: Click here to register now!
Mail registration form to MSMS Foundation, PO Box 950, East Lansing, MI 48826
Fax registration form to 517-336-5797
Phone MSMS registrar at 517-336-5784

For More Information:
Please contact Elizabeth Hammel at (517) 336-7575 or ehammel@msms.org

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WSUSOM 'Med Ed Prep' Draws 270 Potential Medical School Students

About 270 high school and college students, accompanied by their parents, attended Med Ed Prep 2008 to discover the recommended path to a medical education at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. For many, the event will prove the gateway to a medical career and the answer to a looming physician shortage in Michigan.

Tom Roe, MD, associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education, and recent School of Medicine graduate Jessica Kado, MD, welcomed the students and their parents to Scott Hall the evening of Aug. 21.

Dr. Kado noted that the school “never has a shortage of eager doctors to help you.” Her experience at WSU -- and the school’s reputation -- has been recognized nationwide, she said.

Silas Norman Jr., MD, assistant dean of Admissions, stressed one the school’s main missions: service to the community.

“Many of you already know of the excellence of this institution. We will also teach you how to be of service to the community,” said Dr. Norman, who noted that one of every three physicians in southeast Michigan named to the annual “Best Doctors” compilation graduated from WSU.

“We provide in this region the majority of care for the uninsured and the underinsured. You will become a part of that safety net. We will need you to become compassionate as well as physicians,” Dr. Norman said.

Ron Spalding, chief administrative officer of Academic and Student Programs, provided an in-depth look at the School of Medicine’s future, showing a video of the new Richard J. Mazurek, MD, Medical Education Commons now under construction and a new research building the school plans to build. Many of the students in the audience, he said, will be the first to be taught in the new Mazurek Medical Education Commons.

“The building will house our modern medical library, which will be at the forefront of libraries,” Mr. Spalding said. “The $30 million raised for the building was donated by alumni and associates, so that speaks a lot about the commitment to the School of Medicine.”

Medical students will find demand in plenty of specialties in clinical practice, education and research, said Lawrence Schwartz, MD, a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Academic and Student Programs. “We baby boomers are getting older and we want everything to work, and we’re going to want you to take care of that,” he said. “Our students go everywhere and do everything.”

Kimberly Jobe, 20, of Detroit, said she is strongly considering the School of Medicine for a medical education. She remains unsure of a medical field, but that’s fine, said Dr. Schwartz, who said new medical students should keep an open mind about specialties.

Garrett Sauter, 19, of Dearborn, attends Vanderbilt University. He said Med Ed Prep was helpful, and said he will definitely apply to the School of Medicine. The son of Gehring Sauter, MD, a graduate of the School of Medicine, said he wants to pursue a career in emergency medicine.

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Wayne State Hosts Health Care Reform Town Hall Meeting

US Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit) helped conduct a town hall meeting on health care reform Aug. 18 at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Representative Conyers moderated a conversation titled “Access to Health Care,” which featured a panel of experts who discussed problems and possible solutions to the growing number of under- and uninsured residents in America.

“Wayne State University School of Medicine has continued to be a forum where we have been able to explore the issue of how we deliver health care in America,” said Representative Conyers. “We are looking at a problem that has grown more complicated, more difficult and more challenging than ever before. Our goal is to enlarge the size of this conversation and invite more doctors, members of the community and legislators to participate”

In addition to Representative Conyers, panelists included John Flack, MD, MPH, Chair of Internal Medicine; Herbert Smitherman, MD, Assistant Dean of Community and Urban Health; Ramona Benkert, PhD, Associate Professor at WSU College of Nursing; Susan Steigerwalt, MD, Former President of Physicians for a National Health Program; and David Ivers, Secretary-Treasurer of the Metro Detroit American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

“For some of us, the health care system works very well, but, for those who fall between the cracks of the Medicaid system, there is no access to health care – only to emergency rooms,” explained Dr. Flack. “This access is not just an urban problem or a Detroit problem but a national problem.”

“Right now we have no national solution and no consensus on what to do,” said Dr. Smitherman. “It’s not just about universal coverage. It’s about organizing the primary care infrastructure in order to address everyone properly.”

To view a video of the event, please visit the streaming media website.

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Children's Hospital Opens Safety Center, Wins Grant, Names Urology Chief

DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan will soon unveil a newly established hospital-based safety center. The center will provide education and offer a broad inventory of low-cost products to help prevent injuries to all children, including children with disabilities or special health care needs.

The Cardinal Health Foundation recently awarded Children’s Hospital of Michigan a $35,000 grant for a research study to improve patient safety. Children’s Hospital emergency physician Nirupama Kannikeswaran, MD was one of 34 physicians selected to receive the grant from among 800 applicants, nationwide.

The hospital recently appointed Yegappan Lakshmanan, MD, FAAP, FRCSEd as Chief of Pediatric Urology. He previously served as assistant professor of Pediatric Urology and Director of Pediatric Urology Basic Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Medical Institutions in Baltimore, MD.

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Free Children's Health And Reading Fair

A free children’s health and reading fair will take place 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Westside Health Resource Center, 21551 Fenkell (between Lahser and Evergreen).

The fair will include:
• Free vision, hearing, and lead screening for children.
• Information on health insurance enrollment.
• Free books, storytelling, games, snacks and raffle.

The event is sponsored by Institute on Multicultural Health at Henry Ford Health System.

For more information, call 313-874-1890.

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Medicare Fraud Claims Misleading, States OIG Report

CMS' 2006 claims that it had reduced Medicare durable medical equipment fraud to about $700 million were based on improper auditing and fell short of the actual amount of fraud, according to a draft report by the HHS Office of Inspector General, the New York Times reports, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

According to the report, at issue is the auditing on which CMS based its fraud reduction claims. The Times reports that CMS hired AdvanceMed, a subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation, to audit Medicare DME spending. The report states that CMS officials told AdvanceMed to ignore an auditing program -- called Comprehensive Error Rate Testing, or CERT -- which is required by law. Under CERT, claims are randomly selected and auditors compare invoices to physicians' records to ensure the spending was justified. The report says that AdvanceMed was told by CMS officials to only examine the invoices from DME suppliers.

The report found that in fiscal year 2006, CMS failed to detect that more than one-third of spending on DME was fraudulent. Using data from other Medicare reports, the undiscovered fraud would equal about $2.8 billion, according to the Times. The report found that AdvanceMed auditing revealed 7.5 percent of Medicare DME claims were not supported by documentation. The OIG report states that AdvanceMed would have discovered that 31.5 percent of claims were not supported by documentation had it used CERT.

The draft report was obtained by the Times and likely will be released within the next week. OIG might change or edit its findings before the release, according to the Times.

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NPR's 'Morning Edition' Looks At Candidate's Health Spending Plans

NPR's "Morning Edition" on Friday looked at proposals by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) to limit health care costs, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior economic adviser, said that the candidate's plan to provide tax credits to help people buy health insurance would result in about 20 million to 30 million more insured people. He said, "It's going to be $5,000 toward every family's purchase of health insurance, something that basically would be a non-event for people already getting insurance from their employer. But for those who are buying it out of pocket, a lot of help there." The plan also aims to help people with pre-existing health conditions who cannot find affordable coverage, McCain has said. According to Holtz-Eakin, the plan would be budget-neutral because its costs would be balanced by a tax on contributions by employers towards health benefits. He declined to project how the plan would affect US health spending, NPR reports.

Obama's plan, which would require many employers to contribute to workers' health insurance, eventually would reduce health spending by 8 percent, David Cutler, Obama's health adviser, said. The plan would not deny anyone coverage. Cutler said, "What we estimate is that Sen. Obama's health plan would reduce the cost of health care by about $2,500 for a typical family. That's a combination of direct out-of-pocket costs that the family no longer has to make and premium payments from their employers that families are now paying in the lower wages that they receive." In addition, with savings in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the government would not need to collect as much in taxes to run those programs, NPR reports.

Both candidates have suggested increasing the availability of preventive care, promoting less-expensive generic prescription drugs and developing health information technology as ways to further reduce health spending, NPR reports. Uwe Reinhardt, a health economist, said such methods likely will not reduce health care costs in the long term, although they will "enhance quality of life" and provide more value for spending. He added that generic medications currently are widely used and that health care IT is expensive to implement and maintain (Silberner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 8/22).

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