Kane County Medical Society News

Renew Your Commitment to KCMS for 2020

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 18:00:00 GMT

The Kane County Medical Society relies solely on membership support. Annual dues for KCMS is $325. If you value KCMS and want to see it continue to be the voice of and for local physicians, renew your membership today!

2019 Medical Records Copying Fees

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:30:21 GMT

The Illinois Comptroller's office has published the following information regarding 2019 Copying Fees for Medical Records.

Illinois Residents Are Eligible for Free Prescription Cards-Be Sure to Share information with your Patients

Tue, 22 May 2018 21:41:48 GMT

ISMS is teaming up with Illinois Rx Card to spread the word that all Illinois residents have access to a statewide Prescription Assistance Program (PAP). The pharmacy card provides patients with prescription medication savings up to 75% at more than 68,000 pharmacies nation wide. To download a card click on the link. Cards are pre-activated and ready to use immediately.

https://www.illinoisrxcard.com/

ISMS Secures Needed Protections for Physicians and Patients as APRN's Seek Independent Practice Authority

Wed, 24 May 2017 17:30:00 GMT

The Illinois State Medical Society prevented the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN) from moving its top priority this year i.e., to allow APRNs to practice completely independent of a physician.

After numerous negotiating sessions and intense advocacy from physicians throughout Illinois an agreement has been reached on this topic.

ISAPN introduced legislation that would have granted APRNs full independent practice, including full prescriptive authority, after completing additional clinical training under the supervision of either another APRN or physician. ISMS opposed this legislation.

There is strong support within the Illinois legislature for bills that would grant APRNs independent practice. Instead of voting against us, legislators asked ISMS to draft an alternative.

ISMS offered alternative language that was eventually accepted by the APRNs. Our language:

1. Maintains the requirement that APRNs have a written collaborative agreement, unless the APRN receives substantial post-graduate training under the direct supervision of a physician (4,000 clinical training and 250 hours in additional educational/training components). The physician then must sign a written attestation confirming that the training was completed.

2. Does not change current practice within a hospital setting; APRNs must still be recommended for credentialing by the hospital medical staff.

3. Requires APRNs to maintain a formalized relationship with a physician that must be noted in the state’s prescription monitoring program (PMP) if that APRN wishes to prescribe schedule II opioids and benzodiazepines. The opioids to be prescribed must be specifically noted in the PMP and APRNs and the consulting physician must meet at least monthly to discuss the patient’s care.

4. Says that APRNs are prohibited from administering opiates via injection. APRNs are also prohibited from performing operative surgery.

5. Prohibits APRNs from advertising as “Dr.,” which is extremely misleading to patients. APRNs who have doctorate degrees must tell patients that they are not medical doctors or physicians.

6. Makes clear that CRNAs are not included in the agreement; nothing changes as to how CRNAs currently must practice.

In most other states, advanced practice nurses already have full practice authority to diagnose and treat patients including full prescriptive authority. Some 24 states and the District of Columbia don't require any physician involvement for APRNs to diagnose, treat, or prescribe. In addition to those, eight states allow APRNs to diagnose and treat independently but require physician involvement for APRNs to prescribe.

ISMS physicians are committed to ensuring that care is centered on each patient’s needs and that each patient receives high-quality care by a well-trained team of professionals. These important provisions will be amended to HB 313 in the Senate this week. We would not have been able to make these important changes without all of your assistance.

ISMS Statement on Federal Health Reform

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 17:01:28 GMT

Illinois’ medical community is deeply invested in the conversation surrounding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The physician and medical student members of ISMS support access to care for all people, and advocate for a pluralistic health care system that leverages the strengths of both the public and private sector to secure such access. ISMS has identified 10 principles that should be prioritized when considering another round of health care delivery reform. These principles are articulated below. We are currently reviewing the American Health Care Act and how the proposed changes align with our principles:

1. Health care delivery and finance system reform should use the current public-private system as a basis and focus on incremental evolutionary change.

2. All patients should have access to a health benefit plan that would include catastrophic coverage as well as preventive services, appropriate screening, primary care, immunizations, and prescription drug coverage.

3. Health insurance reform is needed to allow public and private plans to develop innovative coverage plans, including the development of health savings accounts and other high-deductible plans to encourage patients, physicians, and other health care providers to pursue high-value care.

4. All health care expenditures should receive equal treatment for purposes of tax deduction and tax credits.

5. Professional liability reform – including caps on noneconomic damages – should continue to be pursued and defended as a way to reduce direct and indirect costs (defensive medicine) and to address the adverse effect the current medical liability system has on the physician-patient relationship and access to health care.

6. Use of information technology in health care delivery should be encouraged to improve quality and safety of care, enhance efficiency, and control costs.

7. Health care education and literacy must be an important part of any medical care financing and delivery system reform.

8. Health care reform proposals should include provisions for physicians to set and negotiate their own fees in order to adequately compensate physicians and other health care providers for the promotion of personal and public health.

9. Evidence-based protocols should support, not replace the patient-physician relationship.

10. ISMS objects to third party insurance carriers interfering with the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:

March 9, 2017

John Maszinski, 312-580-6440

(cell) 312-608-3620

Let Your Voice Be Heard! Take Time to Contact Representatives

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 16:29:33 GMT

Healthcare is changing again! A new administration brings with it yet another attempt to revamp the US healthcare system. This time the changes to the ACA are broad and sweeping, effecting millions of once insured Americans. What do the changes mean for you as healthcare provider? Do you support or oppose the new healthcare proposal? Take a two minutes out of your busy schedule and CALL your US Representative! If you don't know who your representative is then it's time you find out. You can use the ISMS Lawmaker Lookup to find out who represents you in Congress.

YOU make a difference! Exercise your voice! Call your Representative TODAY!

Read about ISMS Network Adequacy & Transparency Act-NAT

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 20:55:29 GMT

Thousands of Illinois residents are getting a raw deal on healthcare. Are you? ISMS has created the Network Adequacy & Transparency Act (NAT). Find out more about it here. NAT

KCMS in the Community

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 20:15:09 GMT

The Kane County Medical Society continues to be present in the community in a variety of ways.

The Kane County Medical Society supports KCMS practice managers! More than 50 managers from all over the county are currently members of the Kane County Medical Managers group (KCMM). KCMS Membership support provides the funding needed to help equip practice managers in their work. Providing learning events and networking opportunities that otherwise would not be available.

During the month of November the Kane County Medical Society along with sister societies in McHenry and Will-Grundy collected money for the Northern Illinois Food Bank. NIFB assists more than 71,000 people a week with meals throughout a 13 county area which includes all of the areas covered by our three medical societies. This year KCMS along with MCMS collected approximately $3000. Way to go doctors!

On October 27, 2016 Dr. Wayne Polek gave a presentation on the history of the Kane County Medical Society to the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce Women's Business Council.

On October 28, 2016 your fearless Staff leaders cleaned up the Kane County Medical Society stretch of highway on Randall Road from Dean St. to Crane Rd. on the west side of the street. Two large bags were collected. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this simple task. If no KCMS members volunteer Paula and Sue set out to get it done. Our months are April and October. If you are interested in volunteering call the KCMS office.

ISMS Annual House of Delegates Meeting-Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 17:58:29 GMT

Each year ISMS members gather to discuss resolutions created by county members such as yourself. This year the annual ISMS House of Delegates meeting will take place at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23.

The Kane County Medical Society delegates to the convention are:

Dr. Susan Acuna, Dr. Brad Epstein, Dr. Patrick Para, and Dr. Andrew Ward

All KCMS Members are invited to attend the ISMS HOD meeting. For information on the daily activities and registration information go to ISMS House of Delegates.

ISMS Advocates for Changes to MACRA

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 15:46:25 GMT

ISMS recently asked for physician feedback on the CMS proposed MACRA rules. Numerous practices provided feedback which allowed ISMS to communicate those concerns to CMS.

ISMS joined other state and national medical associations in a letter to CMS's Acting Administrator Andrew Slavitt, outlining and detailing concerns about the proposal and requesting considerable modifications.

If you would like to weigh in on MACRA and it's implications to your practice, you are encouraged to contact ISMS Advocacy at 800-782-4767 x 1470 or email advocacy@isms.com

2016 Update on ISMS Legislative Activity in the General Assembly

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:08:31 GMT

As an ISMS member you should be aware of the what has taken place on behalf of your patients and profession as it relates to the legislative session in Springfield this year.

ISMS has provided a comprehensive update on what has taken place in the general assembly so far this year.

ISMS 2016 Legislative Update

Herd Immunity and Organized Medicine

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 19:20:11 GMT

Dr. Paul DeHaan, MD-11^th District Trustee, Illinois State Medical Society

Herd Immunity and Organized Medicine

I’d like to talk with you about a concept that is familiar to us from our work, but also applies to the big picture view of medicine. We all understand the idea of herd immunity, in which threats to a group can be minimized if the majority of its members are protected, thereby conferring passive protection to the otherwise unprotected members. We know how important it is in an immunization program to maintain the participation of as many members of the community as possible, and that the inevitable few outliers will still benefit from the responsible behavior of the majority.

There is a striking parallel between getting your flu shot and participating in advocacy for our profession. As long as a majority of physicians support their professional organizations, those advocacy efforts can be successful, and those who choose not to participate still benefit from the good work of their peers. When resources are robust, positive legislative efforts like the Prescription Monitoring Program succeed, and bad ideas, such as periodic sweeps of the Medical Disciplinary Fund, can be resisted.

For years, you have listened to us talk in this time slot about a litany of issues that are critical to the wellbeing of our patients and our profession. The details of the day change, but the message stays the same. There must be organized, effective representation from physicians, the leaders of the health care delivery system, to help direct health care policy and legislation in our state. Surely our specialty organizations play a role in this, but none have the resources, the reputation, and the scope of a statewide organization that represents all physicians, all specialties, all demographics, and all practice types. That organization is the Illinois State Medical Society.

The herd immunity we have built up provides great passive benefit to the individual doctor who chooses to withhold his or her support for this effort. As long as enough colleagues participate, the work goes on, and threats from the multitudes of other stakeholders in the world of healthcare are kept reasonably at bay. But this only works if the resources for our advocacy remain strong.

As our profession is changing, physician participation is also changing. The majority of Illinois physicians are now employed, and their outlook and priorities have shifted. I, like most of you, have chosen to leave the onerous aspects of business management to others, in order to focus on the more attractive components of medicine.

The downside of this is that it is easy to delude ourselves into thinking that the challenges facing our profession are now someone else’s problem. Our liability insurance premiums, license renewal fees, and many other thorns in our sides seem to be relieved. It feels as if we can now put in our time at work, and when our shift ends, our cares and concerns end, and somebody else can deal with those other unpleasant realities.

This is where our herd immunity concept fails. Far too many physicians have chosen not to support organized medicine. Membership and dues income are falling, and the resources to push for necessary policy changes – and to resist counterproductive initiatives – are at risk. Just recently, we prevailed when the psychologists wanted to prescribe psychotropic medications with only minimal instruction in pharmacology, and when minimally trained lay midwives wanted to offer home birth services. But both were close calls, and both groups will continue to try to work the system, to obtain by legislation what they have not achieved by education.

Our challenge, it seems, is to connect with today’s physicians and their employers and communicate the value message of advocacy. Although it is impossible for all of us to agree on each and every detail of our work, we must remember that our interests are vastly more parallel than divergent, and membership dues money is an excellent investment. Our medical staff leadership has shown the foresight to support ISMS by offering us this opportunity to reach out to you at quarterly staff meetings, and by supporting our Illinois Medical PAC. We are profoundly grateful for this demonstration of leadership, and we will continue to earn their confidence.

The work of our Society depends on the involvement of members, and on new ideas and new perspectives. Each of us has something to offer, and we need only very little of your time. Becoming involved is easy, and I have found it to be a very rewarding experience. Thanks for your support!

Measles Exposure in Northern Illinois-Update from Illinois Department of Public Health

Mon, 23 May 2016 17:30:26 GMT

A confirmed case of measles has been reported in Illinois. Healthcare providers and facilities should be alert for possible measles cases. Measles should be considered in any patient with a maculopapular rash that starts on the head/hairline and spreads down the body, fever, conjunctivitis, cough, cold symptoms, and malaise.

Please read the entire communique from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Measles Exposure in Northern Illinois

Please contact your local health department immediately if you suspect that a patient may have measles. The Kane County Health Department can be reached at 630-208-3801

2016 ISMS Annual Meeting and House of Delegates Recap

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 18:21:23 GMT

This year's ISMS Annual House of Delegates meeting was held in Springfield, IL from April 15-17. The KCMS delegates to the convention were Dr. Ron Simone, MD, Dr. Brad Epstein, MD (OB/GYN, Elgin); Dr. Patrick Para, MD (Radiology, Elgin); Dr. Andrew Ward, MD (Anesthesia, Elgin).

You will find a recap of the weekend's events and resolution summaries at https://www.isms.org/hod/

Find Medical Resource Guide Articles under Resources

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 17:52:42 GMT

The Kane County Medical Society salutes each of our member physicians and thanks them for their tireless work in advocating for their patients and their profession. The Kane County Medical Society once again honors each of its members in the annual Medical Resource Guide published in the Daily Herald and Northwest Herald newspapers. Watch for the Medical Resource Guide on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Is your doctor a member?

It's Getting to Be Tax Season: Here's Good News about Your Dues

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 21:33:09 GMT

The portion of you ISMS dues for the 2015 membership year reserved for non-tax-deductible purposes is 8 percent. Therefore, for federal income tax purposes, your dues for 2015 are 92 percent tax-deductible.

For applicability to your individual circumstances, check with your tax consultant or adviser.