Did you know that trial lawyers contributed over $149,500 to candidates running for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2010, compared to IMPACT’s $119,500? Fortunately, organized medicine proved much more effective in picking electoral winners – the trial lawyers spent nearly $70,000 on losing candidates they supported, IMPACT only $22,000.
If IMPACT is to be as successful in 2012, we need your financial support. In 2011, less than 300 of more than 8000 TMA members contributed to the PAC. Those numbers are not going to lead to legislative successes or make 2012 a winning election for organized medicine. Our adversaries – trial lawyers, mid –level providers wanting to expand their scope of practice, the insurance industry – are not sitting back passively. Their professions are aggressively seeking to expand their PACs, their clout and their scope of practice. Only you can stop their efforts!
Legislatively, TMA had an extremely successful session in 2011 – we built on the important modification to the med mal law enacted in 2008 by passing caps on non-economic damages in Tennessee, a first for this state. We addressed the "pill mill" concerns by establishing regulatory oversight of pain clinics and have prohibited the cash-only basis upon which some clinics operate. We addressed the lack of transparency by some allied health care providers by requiring all appropriate providers in the state to either wear photo IDs or provide a written document to a first-time patient that clearly enunciates the providers's professional background. In previous years, TMA advocated for expanded liability protection to volunteer health care providers; we were able to enact far-reaching insurance reforms addressing the selling of rental networks, and developed a structured external review process that assures providers and patients have access to an objective third party entity to rule on their appeals and prohibited the questionable tactics of a private third party attempting to recoup what were spuriously claimed as overpayments.
TMA can only be this successful and effective in the future if we continue to elect medicine-friendly legislators. Sustaining membership is only $300 per year, a small sum compared to the savings most physicians saw in their medical malpractice premiums in the past couple years. The Capitol Hill Club (CHC), the premium membership level, starts at $1000 per year – members receive CHC pins that are proudly worn all year as well as special useful gifts. Either contribution level can be charged on-line right now on IMPACT’s secure Website – just click below but do it now!
If you are not already a current IMPACT contributor, support your profession by joining now. If you are a member, recruit a peer! If you are a sustaining member, consider increasing your contribution to the Capitol Hill Club level.
Note: IMPACT is now permitted by state law to accept corporate contributions. All contributions made to IMPACT are kept in-state in order to support candidates for state races.