News
APRIL 2016 · VOLUME 26 & ISSUE 4
A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER LOUISVILLE MEDICAL SOCIETY
WHAT’S INSIDE
Page 1 - 2016 Legislative
Session Success
Page 2 - 2016 Legislative
Bills Passed
Page 3 - D
r. Walter S.
Coe Museum
Room
Dedication
Page 3 - Save the
Date - 2016
Presidents’
Celebration
Page 5 - Medicaid
Roundtable
Page 5 - Specialty Speed
Wrap-up
Page 6 - Match Day 2016
2016 LEGISLATIVE SESSION:
A HUGE SUCCESS FOR
PHYSICIANS & PATIENTS ALIKE
The 2016 Kentucky legislative session wrapped
up in dramatic fashion as Senate Bill 18 on Fair
Contracting passed at the eleventh hour, going
on the twelfth.
This year’s session was extended until Friday,
April 15 over budgetary disagreements. Senate
Bill 18 went along for the ride after passing both
Houses but experienced an unrelated House floor
amendment. This led to the appointment of a
conference committee to determine the bill’s
fate. After another flurry of physician telephone
calls and emails, the Fair Contracting Bill was
approved and is now pending the governor’s
signature. The governor has 10 days to sign or
veto the bill. Originally a GLMS resolution, the bill
was introduced by Senator Ralph Alvarado, MD. It
requires insurers to be more straightforward and
follow a new and fairer set of procedures before
changing an existing agreement with physician
practices. The passage of SB 18 was a feather in
the cap for the highly energized Policy & Advocacy
Team led by its chair, Frank Burns, MD, and other
GLMS executive officers, Bruce Scott, MD, Robert
“Bob” Couch, MD, MBA, and John Roberts, MD.
“This has been one of the best sessions in a very
long time,” said GLMS Exec. Vice President Bert
Guinn, MBA, CAE, who coordinated efforts with
the GLMS Board of Governors, P&A Team, and
the Kentucky Medical Association to dramatically
improve physician influence Capitol Hill.
An increased physician presence in Frankfort led
to the passage of numerous bills with positive
outcomes for Kentucky doctors including Senate Bill 17, which prohibits the Board of Medical
Licensure from requiring any maintenance of
certification for physician licensure, and Senate
Bill 20, which defines terms and appeals for physicians involved with a Medicaid managed care
organization process. There were several important bills which made their way to the Governor’s
desk and many others saw significant progress for
future years. For a list of health care bills passed
in the 2016 legislative session, see page 2.
“The success that the GLMS had in getting important legislation passed during this session
is a direct result of physician members getting
involved with the legislative process. Being
involved includes attending our Policy and Advocacy Team meetings; traveling to Frankfort
as part of the KMA Legislative Day; calling and
leaving messages on the Legislative Message
Line for legislators; and coordinating, hosting and attending independent fundraisers
for legislators. As we go forward, continued
involvement is the key to further success in
passing legislation which is important to patient care and to our profession in Kentucky. I
want to personally thank all GLMS members
who took time away from their practice to
help make this one of the most successful sessions in recent memory!”
-Frank Burns MD, GLMS Policy & Advocacy
Chair and GLMS Treasurer.