President's Message

A few key highlights of this year’s Doctor Day noteworthy to Family Medicine included breakout sessions on addiction policy, psychiatric advanced directives, climate and health coalitions and primary care investment, the latter of which is a current key initiative of the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP).  Additionally, there was a keynote address from Dr. Robert Pearl, plastic surgeon and professor at the Stanford University Schools of Medicine and Business, on the hot topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and what this means for the practice of medicine in to the future, followed by a bipartisan legislative panel that was interactive with all participants and offered a view into our elected representatives current perspectives on healthcare policy throughout the state of Wisconsin. The pinnacle of the day included small group visits of approximately 3 to 4 physicians with each of our own districts’ legislators to specifically address the following 2 priority issues:

1) Prior Authorization Reform – aiming to streamline the process for both physicians and for our patients in order to deliver the best and highest quality care possible. Our specific asks include the following:

• Establish quick response times (24 hours for urgent, 72 hours for non-urgent care).
• Adverse determinations can be made only by a Wisconsin-licensed physician in the same specialty that typically manages the patient’s condition..
• Prohibit retroactive denials if care has been preauthorized.
• Authorization should be valid for one year at minimum, regardless of dose changes, and valid for the length of treatment for chronic conditions.
• When switching health plans, the new plan should honor the patient’s prior authorization for at least 90 days.
• Creation of a gold-carding program, allowing physicians consistently performing necessary care to be exempt from prior auth requirements for an appropriate time period.

More information can be found on the WI Doctor Day Website.

2) Establishing a Clinician Health Program – Physicians are at high risk for burnout and depression, and sadly, the rate of physician suicide remains higher than the general population. The majority of physicians in Wisconsin are employed and may have access to employer-sponsored programs to support mental health, treatment for addiction, etc., but many individuals often prefer to seek an independent, outside and confidential source of care if they even reach out for help at all for fear of repercussions and the downstream effects that it could have on one’s licensing and future medical career. Key elements of a clinician health program include the following:

• Authority for the clinician health program to work with regulatory boards
• Peer review protection
• Allowance for voluntary assistance and/or guidance
• Confidentiality protections
• Protections for referring a colleague to a clinician health program

More information in regard to this can be found on the WI Doctor Day website. 

There is no better time than now to engage in advocacy for family medicine and for our patients. Easy ways to get involved and to make a difference include:

1) AAFP Speak Out: Enables you to directly contact your state legislative or congressional representatives on issues that are most pressing to primary care. The process is made very easy and user friendly by containing pre-populated message templates on key issues that are also customizable if you wish to add further views or personalized examples to support your cause.

Speak Out that are relevant to all of us in primary care include but are not limited to the following:

• Defending vaccine science and public health
• Support for Medicaid funding          

You can find more information on these as well as additional details on how to participate in the AAFP Speak Out process on the AAFP website at the following link: Speak Out | AAFP. To take part in this, you will need to log in to the AAFP website using your member credentials.

2) Contribute to WIFamMedPAC – WAFP’s Political Action Committee (PAC): One of the Academy's key functions is a strong government affairs program to influence legislation and policies that could impact Family Medicine. Our state’s PAC allows us to be more agile and effective when engaging in the political process. It collects member contributions into a single account and distributes them to political candidates on both sides of the political aisle under the direction of a governing board comprised of WAFP leadership and according to how well each candidate’s campaign aligns with our common goals in primary care. The benefits of this include:

• Provides the WAFP and its members with another avenue to support state legislative candidates who recognize and support Family Medicine
• Gives the WAFP members another way to participate in the political process
• Raises the profile of the WAFP among state elected officials

To make the PAC successful now and into the future, it is vital that our membership be engaged and make monetary contributions to this fund. If you are interested in doing so, you can visit the WAFP website.

3) Join the WAFP Legislative Committee: The Legislative Committee reviews and recommends policy on all national, state and local legislation affecting the practice of medicine, scope of practice, access and medical liability. They help coordinate the efforts of contract lobbyist and member involvement in the legislative process.

The committee is comprised of members across the state with different lived experiences and political perspectives. All members are welcome to join. The committee meets from 7:00-8:00am on the third Tuesday of the month via Zoom. 

Email Dianne if you’d like to join the committee.

If you are interested in learning more about the current policies and political climate for family medicine in the state of Wisconsin including current pertinent bills, legislative agenda, legislators throughout our state that have been historically supportive of family medicine and key WAFP position statements, please visit our advocacy section on the WAFP website. 

Let’s keep fighting for family medicine and for the optimal care of our patients and communities!