**A Word from our Sponsor: The MedChi Insurance Agency** MedChi Insurance Agency Offers a MedChi Member Discount for Nationwide Auto Insurance

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1 MEDCHI NEWS - May 5, 2008 Sponsored by: The MedChi Insurance Agency CONTENTS: 1. Message from Martin Wasserman, M.D., J.D., Executive Director 2. What's New on the MedChi Website? 3. MedChi Member Honored with University of Maryland Distinguished Service Award 4. Show Me the Money! 5. Maryland Physician Health Program Celebrates 30 Years of Service! 6. Young Physician Section Update 7. The Dollars and Sense of Quality Measures CME Program. Save the Date! **A Word from our Sponsor: The MedChi Insurance Agency** MedChi Insurance Agency Offers a MedChi Member Discount for Nationwide Auto Insurance 1. Message from Martin Wasserman, M.D., J.D., Executive Director Colleagues: This past Friday, your leadership team, including President Bruce Smoller, MD, President-Elect Ron Sroka, MD, and Immediate Past President-Scott Hagaman, MD, joined me in Owings Mills to meet with the leadership of CareFirst, the largest health insurance carrier in Maryland. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate a dialogue between the physicians and insurance company to determine in what areas we might be able to improve our relationship. We felt the meeting "went well for a first meeting" and that we "had their ear". The environment was "cordial" and the outcome from both sides of the table was to continue the dialogue in the future. After the usual introductions and exchange of business cards David Wolf, Executive Vice President, Medical Management and Strategic Planning, opened the meeting by welcoming us and introducing an agenda which we had developed in advance. He mentioned that earlier in the week, both he and Bill Casey, Vice President for Government Affairs, attended the Governor's Task Force on Health Care Access and Reimbursement. During the meeting Dave suggested that the Task Force consider discussing Tort Reform. He identified states, such as Texas and California, which had fewer problems than Maryland with reduced physician workforce, but "was shot down by the legislators just like you guys!" That comment got the meeting going with a common objective. We thanked him for addressing the issue with the Task Force, and he agreed to follow-up with a letter to request that Tort Reform, at least as an issue for future discussion, be included in the final report of the Task Force in December. We also briefly discussed alternatives to the current duplicative system of credentialing which costs several million dollars annually and which, we all agreed, could be less expensively and more efficiently performed by a single entity such as the Maryland Board of Physicians or even the state medical society as it is done in Delaware. Dr. Jon Shematek, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, stated that CareFirst was supportive of the Health Information Technology application we plan to submit to the Medicare agency later this month, and I thanked him for his very detailed letter of support. Drs. Smoller and Sroka mentioned their caution regarding the Demonstration Project and once

2 again did not want the primary care physicians left with additional costs and limited benefits. Bruce Edwards, Vice President Networks Management, said that he had worked with some primary care physicians who were pleased with the electronic medical records systems that they had purchased and would provide their names to us if we wanted an alternative viewpoint. Mr. Wolf described the new Maryland e-medicine program that would provide technology support to improve intensive care unit monitoring and patient safety at several rural Maryland hospitals beginning next year. You may have heard about this in the news earlier last week. The physicians will be licensed in Maryland but the central hub of activities will be with the Christiana Medical System in Delaware. The hospitals came to CareFirst and asked for their support of this activity, which has been in the planning stages for the past two years. The majority of time was spent on discussions regarding the Advanced Medical Home, which is going to be discussed by the Governor's Task Force in June, and is a topic likely to be looked upon favorably by the primary care physicians. It will provide financial rewards to physicians for coordination of care and will focus on safe, effective, timely, and efficient care for patients. The concept of Patient Centered Medical Homes was developed by several primary care physician organizations and is supported by the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, a purchaser led coalition. A list of principles has been developed (see below) and we all agreed that they were positive and "the way medicine should be practiced." CareFirst has been working on this program and has developed a number of supportive activities from both the primary care and the specialty care perspectives. They have a model for integrated care for patients which is comprehensive and intended to enhance the "partnerships between patients and their personal physicians, and when appropriate, the patient's family." We will all learn more about this program during future Task Force meetings but if properly developed and adequately compensated it would appear to be beneficial to both the doctor and the patient. We concluded our meeting with a plan to have additional sessions in the future. Because of the difficulty in rearranging patient schedules, I later discussed the possibility of having our next meeting in the early evening to which the participants agreed. Did we solve all of the problems between physicians and insures this past Friday? Of course not! But we both took the first small steps; and we each reached out our hands to the other. Discussion and dialogue can lead to improved understanding of the challenges we each face in provided care to our patients...which should be our common goal. Marty Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home * Personal physician with whom patient has ongoing relationship Physiciandirected team at practice level * Whole person orientation (continuum of care) * Care coordination and integration * Quality & Safety - Care planning involves physicians, patients and families - Evidence-based medicine, decision support tools - Physicians voluntary participation in performance measurement and improvement - Patients active in decision making, feedback solicited - Information Technology used for patient care, performance measurement,

3 patient education, and communication - Voluntary recognition process by external entity - Patients and families participate in quality improvement activities at practice level * Enhanced access through open scheduling, expanded hours, new communication options * Rational payment for added value 2. What's New on the MedChi Website? Take a look at some of what the MedChi Website has to offer: MedChi Member Honored with University of Maryland Distinguished Service Award On May 2, 2008, Murray A. Kalish, M.D., M.B.A., received the University of Maryland Distinguished Service Award established in 1986 for Outstanding Service to the Maryland Alumni Association and the School of Medicine. Dr. Kalish has served as captain for his class reunion since graduation, and he volunteers for the alumni phonothon each year. He joined the Medical Alumni Board in 1990 and was elected the 123rd President in During his term as President, he had the honor and privilege to dedicate John Beale Davidge Hall as a national landmark. 4. Show Me the Money! Learn to negotiate, before you sign on the dotted line! It's NOT too late to sign up!! The MedChi Resident and Fellows section is once again holding its popular workshop, Employer Contract Negotiations. This workshop will be of particular importance to those residents who will soon be finishing their residencies. Larry Kaye, Esq., of the Larry Kaye Law Firm of Montgomery County will be presenting. The workshop is being held Thursday, May 8th at the MedChi building at 7pm. A light supper will be served. RSVP to sbrunt@medchi.org or x Maryland Physician Health Program Celebrates 30 Years of Service! The Maryland Physician Health Program assists physicians in addressing substance abuse, mental health, and other impairment through a confidential, nondisciplinary approach. The program provides intervention, evaluation, monitoring, toxicology screening, and advocacy with the motto that helping one physician helps a thousand patients. The Physician Health Program is celebrating 30 years of helping physicians and their families by presenting a dinner program titled, "Emerging Trends in Physician Impairment." This program will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 in

4 MedChi's Osler Hall. Dinner and sign-in will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:15 p.m. This program will examine strategies for responding to colleagues who may be dealing with substance abuse, mental health or behavioral issues. Presenters include Penelope Ziegler, M.D., Michael Heitt, PsyD, and a panel of experts representing various viewpoints of this important issue. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. For more information, or to register, please contact Elaine Gisriel at , extension 415, or egisriel@medchi.org. The Physician Health helps physicians in need, and their patients, through the generous support of individuals and hospitals. Please consider making a taxdeductible donation to the Center for a Healthy Maryland. For more information, or to make a confidential referral, contact Michael Llufrio at mllufrio@medchi.org or , extension Young Physician Section Update Missed the meeting? No problem. The Young Physician Section has established a yahoo group ( listserv / file sharing website) for the use of the section; you may join by visiting or by sending an to MedChiYPS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. 7. The Dollars and Sense of Quality Measures CME Program Workshop Description: With multiple insurance carriers collecting data on quality standards of care and using information to rank physicians, how can a physician make sense of it all? MedChi has developed a workshop that will take an in depth look at physician tiering as it is linked to pay for performance. The program is designed to assist participants in evaluating the three major Maryland programs: Medicare Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, the CareFirst Quality Rewards Program and the United Healthcare Premium Designation Programs. Workshop Dates and Locations: June 17, :00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Frederick Memorial Hospital 400 W. Seventh Street Frederick MD June 20, :00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Holiday Inn 45 St. Patrick's Drive Waldorf, MD October 17, :00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. The Fountains Conference Center 1800 Sweetbay Drive Salisbury, MD Learning Objectives:

5 ==>Participants will learn how to integrate quality measuring into their medical practices. ==>Participants will be able to analyze the financial impact as it relates to pay for performance. ==>Participants will compare and contrast the three programs in Maryland: -- Medicare Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, the CareFirst Quality Rewards - -Program and the United Healthcare Premium Designation Programs. ==>Participants will also gain knowledge into how insurance companies collect information on physicians and how to appeal errors in insurance company reporting. The Presenter: Jama Allers, MedChi Practice Management Consultant The Target Audience: Physicians, practice administrators, office managers and supervisors. Continuing Education: MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. MedChi designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(tm). Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Practice Management Institute approves this program for 3 Continuing Education Credits towards CMC, CMIS, and CMOM. Pre-registration is required. Registration Information: The registration fees for this workshop are: MedChi Members and their Staff: $45.00 Non-Members: $90.00 You may register by contacting Tina McIlwrath, MedChi CME Manager, at , Extension 306, or by tmcilwrath@medchi.org. 8. Save the Date! MedChi's Annual Membership Meeting and Fall House of Delegates meeting will be held September 27-28, 2008 at the Clarion Resort Fountainbleu Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland. The Presidential Banquet, honoring Ronald C. Sroka, M.D. and featuring entertainment by New Censation, will be held on October 4, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chartwell Country Club in Severna Park, Maryland. **A Word from our Sponsor: The MedChi Insurance Agency** MedChi Insurance Agency Offers a MedChi Member Discount for Nationwide Auto Insurance Save up to $500 Brought to you by Nationwide Insurance(r)

6 MedChi is always looking for opportunities to help make life a little easier for its members. Nationwide Insurance, in a joint effort with MedChi, offers you a special auto insurance program. We hope this program will save you money with special rates on your auto policy. Combine the potential savings from this auto program with other possible Nationwide(r) savings and you could save up to $500* annually on your auto insurance. In addition to auto insurance, Nationwide can also provide you with other products such as: Home/Renters Insurance Identity Theft Protection Boat Insurance RV Insurance and more! It only takes one quick call to find out how this program could benefit you. Call today and be sure to mention that you're a MedChi member! Corrigan Insurance Agency MD, DC, VA, DE, PA Metro: Baltimore: Eastern Shore: Toll Free: *Average annual savings based on Nationwide policyholder data gathered nationally through July Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide and Nationwide Insurance are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. (c)2008 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved Edited by Joyce Duffy-Bilanow Research Director MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society 1211 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD MedChi news is provided as a benefit for MedChi members. To update your address, reply to this message or send to jduffy-bilanow@medchi.org, please include your name and the address you want changed. This list is private and will not be shared with any person or organization outside of MedChi.