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Press Room |
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| October
4, 2007- MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, called President
Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill a mistake that will affect thousands of
innocent Maryland children. The bill that President Bush vetoed would have
provided an additional 42,000 Maryland children access to health care.
"I can't imagine telling these children that they can't get the
health care they need, because their parents can no longer afford
it," stated Dr. Martin P. Wasserman, Executive Director of MedChi.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program proposal, which had bipartisan support in Congress, would have added 4 million children to the program. The program provides health insurance for children whose families cannot pay for it, but are not considered poor enough by Medicaid. It is estimated that 100,000 Maryland children already benefit from the SCHIP program. "Our future rests in the hands of our children. It would be regrettable if they could no longer receive appropriate health care from our physicians," said Dr. Bruce Smoller, newly elected MedChi President. "MedChi supports congressional action to insure health care for all children in need." "As a pediatrician, it saddens me when sick children cannot see a doctor, because of the politics involved," concluded Dr. Wasserman. |
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October
1, 2007-The new president of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society,
vowed to lead the society's efforts to make Maryland the best state for
patients to receive health care and for physicians to practice medicine.
Dr. Bruce Smoller, a Chevy Chase psychiatrist, succeeds Dr. Scott D. Hagaman of Catonsville. He takes on the MedChi presidency as several major forces continue to affect the ability of physicians to deliver care to Maryland patients. "MedChi has been making a difference in the lives of Marylanders for 208 years. We have faced many challenges in our two centuries of existence, and have often seen our efforts to seek change and make improvements to our health care delivery system become incorporated in improvements in health care for Maryland's citizens. Once again, our members face obstacles that obstruct our efforts to serve patients; and once again, we will do everything in our power to help remove them and smooth the path for physicians and their patients," said Dr. Bruce Smoller. "We can only achieve meaningful change, if we work together with policymakers, legislators and businesses. We will reach out to lawmakers in Annapolis and travel to the Capital in Washington. Health care touches everyone and we need to continue to partner constructively, if we are going to turn this around," said Dr. Smoller. Outgoing MedChi president, Dr. Scott D. Hagaman said, "Bruce Smoller has been a tireless advocate for improving Maryland health care for over 30 years. He has been engaged in the major debates and issues that the Society and physicians have faced including tort reform and physician reimbursement. He is the perfect man for what we face in the coming year." Dr. Smoller is a Past President of the Montgomery County Medical Society and has served on the board of the Montgomery County Medical Society since 1998. He is Editor in Chief of Maryland Medicine the journal of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society since 1999. He has served on the Board of Trustees of MedChi since 2005 and was Chairman of the Operation Council of MedChi. . He earned his B.A. Degree from Cornell University in 1965 and his M.D degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine in 1969. Serving his Internship in Internal Medicine, Surgery and Pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, he completed his Residency in Psychiatry at the New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center/Payne Whitney Clinic in 1976. Dr. Smoller is a Board Certified Psychiatrist has been in private practice since 1976. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, in Washington D.C. He has been a consultant to the pain research studies at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. He was the Chairman, Department of Psychiatry at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland from 1980 - 1983. Dr. Smoller's complete biographical sketch may be seen at www.medchi.org |
| MedChi Applauds Maryland Insurance Administration for Fining CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for Improperly Denying Claims: Proof that CareFirst and Other Large Insurance Carriers do not Reimburse Physicians Adequately | September
26, 2007 - MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, commends the
Maryland Insurance Administration for fining CareFirst BlueCross
BlueShield $125,000 for improperly denying claims. "We are glad to
see that Commissioner Tyler and his staff recognized that CareFirst's
payment practices are not in accordance with Maryland law. We are outraged
to learn that CareFirst has failed to properly process such a large number
of denial claims in a timely fashion as required by law," said Martin
P. Wasserman, M.D., Executive Director of MedChi. "We hope that this
will be only the beginning as Mr. Tyler addresses other concerns that we
have recently brought to the MIA's attention, including egregious
violations of the Clean Claims Law by the other major Maryland health
insurer, UnitedHealthcare." MedChi has been claiming for years that
physicians have been unfairly reimbursed for their services. Many
physicians have pointed out that the process to redress denied claims with
large insurance carriers was time consuming and burdensome on physician
practices. "We've known for years that trying to work through a claim
with large insurance companies is a nightmare. For years, their
bureaucratic inefficiencies have been our problem, not theirs. We are the
ones who must patiently work through their cumbersome systems to be
reimbursed for our services," stated Scott Hagaman, M.D., President
of MedChi.
Physicians have been pressing lawmakers to take a deeper look into the reimbursement practices of the large insurance carriers. MedChi responded to a notice last year by CareFirst that it was unilaterally cutting physician reimbursements in July 2006, by calling on State Attorney General Joseph Curran to investigate what we suggested may be "monopolistic pricing practices" among Maryland's largest health insurers. "Commissioner Tyler's ruling is a step in the right direction in rectifying an unjust system that is stacked against patients and physicians. We are also hopeful that Governor Martin O'Malley's Reimbursement Task Force will shed additional light on the dark realities that physicians face when trying to get reimbursed for serving Maryland patients," concluded Dr. Wasserman. |
| Media Statement on Maryland Insurance Administration Action on MedMutual Premium Discount Announcement by MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society |
September 14, 2007 -- MedChi was informed
today that Maryland physicians who are insured by MedMutual will receive a
dividend that will be provided as premium discount for their 2008
liability insurance coverage. However, according to Maryland insurance
statute, a part of this dividend will be shared with the State. The amount
of the dividend is one that Commissioner Ralph Tyler and his staff need to
make at an October 5th hearing.
MedMutual’s surplus is due to the fact that fewer malpractice claims were filed this year than had been originally forecasted. This is due to a variety of reasons, including fewer frivolous lawsuits and the impact of our patient education program. However, Maryland remains a hostile environment for physicians to practice medicine and we will continue to find ways to offer solutions so that Maryland patients will always have access to quality health care. |
| MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society Applauds Governor Martin O'Malley and his 2007 Legislative Initiatives to Increase Access to Affordable, Quality Health Care for the Residents of Maryland |
BALTIMORE,
MARYLAND, January 24, 2007— MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society,
today applauded Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley for working to
increase access to affordable, quality health care for the residents of
Maryland. The
O'Malley-Brown Administration introduced legislation to form a task force
on Health Care Access and Reimbursement.
The Task Force will provide a forum of discussion for the
development of policy that will ensure Maryland residents have access to
physicians and other health care providers. Dr.
Scott Hagaman, M.D.,
President of MedChi said, “This is a crucial step in the ongoing effort
to improve the health and welfare of Maryland’s residents and improving
the current environment for physicians to practice medicine in Maryland.
Maryland residents cannot afford to lose any more physicians
because of an antagonistic practice environment.”
Maryland
has one of the most effective health care delivery systems in the nation.
However, over the past five years, Maryland has seen more and more
physicians move their practices to other states, close their practices all
together and in the case of residents and students, move to states other
than Maryland to start their careers.
The result is that the
quality and effectiveness of the system is being challenged as patients
increasingly are finding it more difficult to find physicians and other
providers to serve their needs. |
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New
Maryland State Medical Society President Promises Ongoing Commitment To
More Efficient Health Care Delivery Scott Hagaman Brings Years of Medical Profession Advocacy and Leadership Experience to MedChi |
BALTIMORE,
MARYLAND, October 4, 2006—The new president of the Maryland State
Medical Society (MedChi) pledges to continue efforts to enhance health
care delivery in Maryland, including tort reform and increased patient
access to quality medical treatment. Dr.
Scott D. Hagaman, a Catonsville psychiatrist, succeeds Dr. George H.A.
Bone of Largo, assuming the MedChi presidency at a time when the cost and
quality of health care delivery is a major concern for millions of
Maryland citizens and employers. Dr. Hagaman says he is committed to
meeting those concerns “by making sure that public and private sector
decision and policy makers throughout the State understand that Maryland
physicians are committed to pursuing a health care delivery system that is
fair to all involved and provides patients the very best in all aspects of
treatment, administration and doctor-patient relationships.” “It
is vital that Maryland manages its health care issues realistically.
All of the parties responsible for our State’s health care policy
must work together in a collaborative manner.
Politics must be set aside. We must all work with the needs of
Maryland patients and our communities in mind. I will do everything I
can—and encourage Maryland’s physicians to do the same—to ensure
that we are successful,” Dr Hagaman said. “Scott
Hagaman is visionary, energetic, and results driven. He will be a dynamic
and charismatic leader for MedChi, and I am confident that the State’s
health care delivery system and the patients it serves will benefit from
Dr. Hagaman’s leadership,” Dr. Bone said. Dr.
Hagaman has most recently served MedChi as its Secretary. He is a member
of the Society’s Board of Trustees and House of Delegates, and he has
assumed leadership positions in its Legislative and Finance Committees.
He is a past president of the Baltimore County Medical Association
and remains on its Board. Dr. Hagaman has been a distinguished fellow of
both the Maryland Psychiatric Society (MPS) and the American Psychiatric
Association (APA) since 1997, serving as chairman of the MPS Legislative
Committee for four years. He
earned his B.A. Degree in biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1977
and his M.D designation from the University of Maryland School of Medicine
in 1983. Serving his
Internship in General Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinics, he completed his Residency in Psychiatry at the University of
Maryland School of Medicine in 1986. Dr. Hagaman served a fellowship in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from 1986 through 1988 and has been in
private practice since 1984. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the
University Of Maryland School of Medicine and serves as the Medical
Director of the Linwood Center in Ellicott City. Since 1999, he has been
with The Children’s Guild in Chillum, Maryland, where he is Senior
Psychiatrist. About
MedChi MedChi,
The Maryland State Medical Society, is a non-profit membership association
of Maryland physicians. Its membership of over 7,000 represents nearly
two-thirds of all practicing physicians in the state. Its mission is to
serve as Maryland's foremost advocate and resource for physicians, their
patients and the public health. Contact: Dr.
Martin Wasserman Michael
Tinati Dr. Hagaman's complete background summary. About
MedChi MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society,
is a non-profit membership association of Maryland physicians. Its
membership of over 7,000 represents nearly two-thirds of all practicing
physicians in the state. Its mission is to serve as Maryland's foremost
advocate and resource for physicians, their patients and the public
health. |
| MedChi Taps Former Maryland Secretary of Health as New Executive Director | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, September 6, 2006—The
Maryland State Medical Society, also known as MedChi, has named Dr. Martin
P. Wasserman, former Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene, as its new Executive Director. Dr. Wasserman succeeds T.
Michael Preston, who resigned after ten years of service to relocate to
the New York City area because of new career opportunities for his wife. A Board Certified pediatrician, who is also an attorney, Dr. Wasserman headed the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 1994 through 1999. He also served as the Administrator of the Oregon Division of Health from 2000 until 2001. Most recently, he was the Medical Director, Immunization Practices and Scientific Affairs for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Ellicott City, Maryland. He will start his new job with MedChi on September 11. “Marty Wasserman is an
astonishingly well-rounded professional. He brings to MedChi a rich legacy
of medical, administrative, and legal experience that we believe will
serve our members’ interests across the broad spectrum of issues that
Maryland doctors face in serving their patients. MedChi is fortunate
indeed to have an executive director of Dr. Wasserman’s caliber,” said
Dr. George H. A. Bone, MedChi’s president. “On behalf of our
membership, I want to thank Stephen Johnson, who filled in as interim
executive director in the weeks since Mr. Preston’s departure. Steve did
an excellent job. MedChi did not miss a beat, and that is a testimony to
Steve’s skills and dedication and to that of the entire management team.
Steve will continue to serve the Society as its general counsel,” Dr.
Bone commented. Dr. Wasserman says he
looks forward to meeting the challenges facing Maryland physicians as well
as creating opportunities for the state’s medical profession and its
patients. “Quality
health care is a tradition in the State of Maryland. I want to work with
doctors, government and private sector policy makers, and patients to be
certain that our state maintains its reputation as a great place to
practice medicine so that we can continue to recruit and retain the best
medical talent in the country. I’m confident that MedChi will continue
to be a leader in that effort, just as it has been under the direction of
Mr. Preston for so many years,” Dr. Wasserman said. Prior to joining GSK, Dr.
Wasserman spent his entire career as a public sector clinical and
administrative physician. After graduating cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College, he attended Johns
Hopkins Medical School from which he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the
medical honor society. He did his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital,
with the University of Rochester, where he served as Chief Resident in
Pediatrics. Subsequently, he treated Navajo children in Gallup New Mexico
while serving in the Indian Health Service. He received his JD from the
University of Maryland School of Law in 1977. Before initiating a
nearly 25-year career in state and local health department leadership, Dr.
Wasserman served in the Federal government in a variety of positions,
including Director of the National Health Service Corps in 1974. He was
also Director of the Department of Human Services in Arlington, Virginia
and served as Public Health Officer in Montgomery and Prince George’s
Counties in Maryland. In addition, he has been a member of the faculty of
the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and has headed a number of state
and county health care initiatives, including HealthChoice, Maryland’s
managed care program, and Smoke Free Maryland. A recipient of the American
Medical Association’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award for achievement in state
government, Dr. Wasserman has testified before the U.S. Congress on timely
issues such as refugee health, AIDS/HIV infection, public health
prevention issues, and African American health problems. Dr. Wasserman's complete background summary. About
MedChi MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society,
is a non-profit membership association of Maryland physicians. Its
membership of over 7,000 represents nearly two-thirds of all practicing
physicians in the state. Its mission is to serve as Maryland's foremost
advocate and resource for physicians, their patients and the public
health.
[text
of press release] |
|
Past releases |
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| MedChi Appoints Stephen H. Johnson Interim Executive Director | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, June 19, 2006—The Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi) has appointed Stephen H. Johnson, General Counsel and Director of its Law and Advocacy Division, as interim executive director to manage the organization while the Board of Trustees searches for a permanent replacement for T. Michael Preston, according to Dr. George Bone, MedChi’s president. Mr. Preston, who after ten years of service, has announced his resignation to move to the New York area in early July as the result of new career opportunities for his wife. [text of press release] |
| MedChi Executive Director to Depart after Ten Years of Service | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, May 17, 2006—T. Michael
Preston, Executive Director of the Maryland State Medical Society, known
as MedChi, is planning to vacate his position in July after ten years of
service. Preston advised the MedChi Board of Trustees last week that his
family will be relocating to the New York City area as a result of new
career opportunities for his wife, Margaret Preston, a banker. [text
of press release] [farewell letter
from Dr. Bone] |
| MedChi seeks Atty. General Investigation of Monopolistic Pricing by Giant Health Plans Following Unilateral CareFirst Reimbursement Cut |
Giant health plans are “crushing the economic life out of medical practice.” Primary care medicine at risk of collapse.BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, May 10, 2006—The Maryland State Medical Society today accused CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield and other giant health insurers of “crushing the economic life out of medical practice” in Maryland through unilateral and possibly monopolistic practices regarding reimbursement of physicians. [full text of press release] |
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Maryland State Medical Society's New President Promises Increased Public Advocacy
for Broader Health Care Delivery Reform
MedChi will be out in Front on Patient Education, Reimbursement, Liability Issues Contact:
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BALTIMORE,
MARYLAND, October 17, 2005—The new president of the Maryland State
Medical Society (MedChi), Dr. George H.A. Bone of Largo, is ready to lead
his organization’s continued efforts to reform the state’s medical
delivery system, in which he says “lawyers and bureaucrats are
separating us from our patients.” Dr.
Bone, who succeeds Dr. Willarda Edwards of Baltimore, assumed his new
responsibilities at the Maryland Medical Convention held over the weekend
in Cambridge. Dr. Scott D. Hagaman of Catonsville is MedChi’s
president-elect, according to T. Michael Preston, executive director.
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MedChi Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Illegal
All-or-Nothing Offerings by United
Healthcare
Contact:
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Major Carrier's Benefits Bundling Could Force Maryland Doctors to Alter
Longtime Relationships with Thousands of Patients The
Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi) today filed suit against United
Healthcare Group, asking the court to declare that the giant health plan
operator is breaking Maryland law by forcing physicians to participate in
all of its health insurance products or lose access to any of them.
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