Minnesota Medical Association

Registration is now open for Physicians’ Day at the Capitol! Physicians and physicians-in-training from across the state will gather at the Capitol to advocate on behalf of medicine. “This is organized medicine’s chance to really make a difference at the Capitol,” said MMA President Edwin Bogonko, MD, MBA. “Physicians need to meet with representatives and senators to make sure they understand how the legislation they are considering will affect our patients and how we practice medicine in Minnesota.” #MinnesotaCare #MedicalReimbursement #POLST

The MMA, along with 128 other healthcare organizations, signed onto a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to “pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.” The letter, sent November 15, went on to urge: “Without federal legislation that provides a payment increase reflecting rising inflationary pressures, patient access will suffer and the sustainability of physician practices across the country, particularly in rural and underserved communities, will be threatened.” The bipartisan bill would replace the 2.83 percent cut with a 1.8 percent payment update, which is equivalent to half of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) increase forecasted for 2025.

⌚ It's almost time! Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday, December 4, from noon to 1 pm for an online Physician Forum. Newly elected U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District Kelly Morrison, MD, will be the guest speaker. Register via the link in bio.

MMA member Mary Lawrence, MD, was recently appointed to AMPAC, the AMA’s political action committee board. Lawrence, an ophthalmologist in Minneapolis, has been heavily involved in advocacy on many fronts, including membership on the board of trustees for MMA’s political action committee, MEDPAC. Read more about Dr. Lawrence and her advocacy work here: https://ow.ly/9AGj50Ucn5t #PatientSafety #HealthcareAccess

The MMA Board of Trustees approved five legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative session at its November 16 meeting in St. Paul. Check out an overview of these priorities below. #MinnesotaCare #NoMidYearSwitching #POLST

The MMA, along with nearly 130 other organizations, signed on to a letter on November 12 urging U.S. Congressional leadership to pass bipartisan legislation that expands access to methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD). The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (M-OTAA) would expand access to methadone treatment for OUD by “enabling board-certified addiction specialist physicians to prescribe it in their usual clinic settings, utilizing patients’ existing pharmacies, under the oversight of the same federal regulatory bodies that already ensure safety monitoring at OTPs,” the letter to House and Senate leadership said. Opioid overdoses account for more than 70,000 preventable deaths in America each year. For more information on the MMA’s efforts to curb the opioid epidemic, click here: https://lnkd.in/gdRqxikM

⌚ It’s time to renew your MMA membership! ⌚ Here is why Vasan Ramanuja, MD, is renewing his membership: “My MMA membership has been a very worthwhile investment, as it has connected me with helpful resources and networking opportunities. I have enjoyed the annual conference since I started attending it last year and look forward to attending it in future years.” - Vasan Ramanuja, MD, Allergy and Immunology, Mankato Join or renew here: https://lnkd.in/gJUnyi-w #ProfessionalDevelopment #PatientCare #PhysicianWellbeing

Newly elected U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District Kelly Morrison, MD, will be the guest speaker for an online Physician Forum on Wednesday, December 4, from noon to 1 pm. Registration and more information can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gxKSrgFk #advocacy #physicianwellbeing

Medicare payment reform topped the list of MMA priorities again at the AMA’s Interim Meeting held recently in Orlando, Fla. About 700 physicians and medical students attended the meeting to consider resolutions across a spectrum of issues important to physicians and patients, including clinical practice, payment, medical education, and public health topics. See article below for more on top physician priorities and which resolutions passed. #PriorAuth #PhysicianWellbeing

Recently, members of the MMA Board of Trustees exchanged their stethoscopes for globs of clay! 🏺 In a pottery making class with artist Jason Kaping at Pig's Eye Pottery in St. Paul, our board and staff had a chance to get creative and enjoy each other's company. Check out some of our creations 👇 #physicianwellbeing