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No! Why Not? Mitchell Sheinkop, MD In early May, I.O.S. President Chris Dangles; Illinois Board of Councilors Rod Rieger, Joe Schrodt, and Mitchell Sheinkop; A.A.O.S. Secretary Bill Robb; and Hand Society leader Dan Nagle explored with our Senators and members of the Illinois House Delegation, those issues which will determine whether our profession will continue in a perilous state or whether virtuousness will win out over the dollar. The remarkable national accomplishment in medicine and in particularly in orthopedic surgery is in jeopardy. Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will learn about matters in the U.S. House of Representatives. I will report on my visit with Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald.
Sharon and I attended a combined breakfast meeting with Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald on Thursday morning. We arrived early to assure seating as the N.O.L.C. coincided with Spring vacation for students from 6th through 12th grades coming to Washington from all over the U.S. We were convinced beforehand that it would be a social event with no opportunity for dialogue. Such however was not the case. The conference room in the basement of the Dirksen Building was packed with citizens from Illinois and yet Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald made the time to enter in mature discussion and at times full debate between themselves and with those posing questions from the audience.While the charm and good will was certainly heightened by the fact that the Senator Fitzgearld's teacher in his own 8th grade class who had taken him to Washington while he was a youngster was leading her present 8th grade class to listen to her one time student, nevertheless I received direct and honest answers to my inquires regarding the orthopedic talking points. Most exciting was the 30-minute personal visit Sharon and I enjoyed with Senator Durbin followed by Senator Fitzgerald immediately thereafter.
I learned that the Senate can not or will not accept the House version of Patient Protection because of the right to sue provision. I learned that the House will not or can not accept the Senate version of a Managed care Bill of Rights because of the issue as to when a patient and which patient might avail him or herself of clinical trials. The appeals mechanism is yet another stumbling block and still unresolved is the definition of emergency room access, definition of specialist and understanding of direct access.
The Senators indicated that there is no chance of Senate consideration of any initiative to grant us collective bargaining rights. "We are not going to provide you with the opportunity to price fix." Senator Fitzgerald however then offered an alternative; "how about removing the antitrust exemption from the insurance industry". After lengthy discussion, we agreed to have Bill Tipton bring the AMA to the bargaining table and explore the latter alternative.
The issue recently addressed by the Clinton Administration following the leaking of The Institute of Medicine Report on Medical Error is becoming a major concern of the senate. Championed by Pennsylvania Senator Arlin Spector, medical error is the potential barrier to all of our affirmative efforts at the stewardship of health care. It is encouraging that orthopedic surgeons are able to point to the Academy wrong side initiative of "Sign Your Site" as to how we already are taking preventive action.
On Wednesday, May 3, 16th District, Illinois, Congressman Donald A. Manzullo issued a letter requesting that oversight hearings be initiated to consider the current HCFA waste, fraud and abuse programs. Agreeing that HCFA programs are not getting the job done but rather, are unduly harassing physicians, Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald agreed to aid us in elimination of the Hassle Factor.
It's a war not a battle, a season not a single game. The crusade will continue. On Friday evening, May 19th, Sharon and I will be reconfirming our talking points on behalf of the Orthopedic PAC to a gathering of select Senators and President Clinton at a private dinner party in Chicago. The Orthopedic PAC will be stating our case at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions this fall for the first time. Please better enable us with your support; fiscal, physical and intellectual.
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