The Massachusetts Association of Practicing Urologists holds meetings several times a year concerning issues relative to the urologist as well as the newest models for effective practice management.

Please browse this section for a calendar of MAPU events, notices of workshops, and a listing of meetings of a variety of other associations.

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2009 Urology Joint Advocacy Conference
March 15-17, 2009
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Washington DC

Organized urology has come together for the express purpose of educating and training our members to become strong advocates in both Washington D.C. and our local communities! The American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU) and the American Urological Association (AUA) have come together for a second year in a row to sponsor the only advocacy meeting in the country specifically devoted to urology and urologic issues.

MAPU Members - Please check out the registration info here.

President's Letter - April 9, 2008

Dear Colleagues:

            At our recent MAPU Board meeting, the important issue of the Group Insurance Commission’s clinical performance improvement initiative was discussed.  While we believe in the guiding principle behind the initiative, i.e., collecting data to measure the quality and costs of patient care in order to improve efficiency of care and decrease costs; we believe that the current program does not in anyway achieve this goal.   Problems arise from the information and data used to rank physicians which include, but are not limited to; the number of radiologic and laboratory studies ordered for a particular diagnosis.  For example, a Urologist who takes care of the more difficult stone patients (staghorn stones) will be penalized for ordering more x-rays and labs and thus ultimately, will be placed into a higher (less favorable) tier than he should be. 

            In addition, we have received feedback from associates about the inaccuracy of the data attributed to them.  The current program is unfair not only to physicians but also to the patients.  It has the potential to do the opposite of what is intended by driving patients to physicians who have lower tiers because they perform less advanced procedures and could ultimately lead to compromised patient care.

            To that end, we encourage you to call your health plans and not only discuss the problems with this initiative, but also ask for all of the data that pertains to your records for your review regarding its accuracy.  Contact the MMS with any inappropriate ranking or inaccurate data (Lisa Smith, at 781-434-7759).  Also, please call your legislative leaders and voice your objection to the current model being implemented by the GIC and other health plans. Your Representative and Senator can be found easily by clicking on the link below: 

            http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php

Our organization must be united in advancing health care for the urologic patient by being proactive in eliminating this detrimental attempt to define the efficiency and quality of care that physicians provide by linking lower costs with better outcomes and better quality of care.

                                                                             Sincerely,
                                                                       
                                                                            Jeffrey Bennett, MD
                                                                            President

JB/vmd

cc:  B. Dale Magee, MD, MS, President, Massachusetts Medical Society
      Ms. Delores L. Mitchell, Executive Director, Group Insurance Commission
      Mr. Eric Schultz, CEO and President, Fallon Community Health Plan
      Mr. Charles Baker, President and CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
      Mr. Peter Straley, President and CEO, Health New England
      Ms. Deborah Enos, President and CEO, Neighborhood Health Plan
      Mr. James Roosevelt, Jr., President and CEO, Tufts Health Plan
      Robert Sorrenti, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Unicare State Indemnity Plan

April 9, 2008 - Letter to Our Members Concerning Group Insurance Issues

Dear Colleagues:

At our recent MAPU Board meeting, the important issue of the Group Insurance Commission’s clinical performance improvement initiative was discussed.  While we believe in the guiding principle behind the initiative, i.e., collecting data to measure the quality and costs of patient care in order to improve efficiency of care and decrease costs; we believe that the current program does not in anyway achieve this goal.  
[Read More: Members Only]

April 14, 2005 - JOIN FELLOW UROLOGISTS & LEGAL EXPERTS FOR AN IMPORTANT TELECONFERENCE ON APRIL 19, 2005 at 12PM.

DATE: Tuesday, April 19, 2005
TIME: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (EST)
Please register in advance (you must log in to access this info)

Dear State Representatives to the State Society Network and Urology CAC members:

The State Society Network has been extremely busy working with State Urological Societies and in coalitions of specialty societies to alert AACU members about legislation affecting their practices. One of the major initiatives coming soon will be the new Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP). Urologists all over need to know about this initiative, as it will be affecting their practices and altering the way many physicians run their practice.

During the last AACU Washington Update, we invited Stuart Langbein of Hogan and Hartson LLP to talk about CAP. Attendees to the conference found Mr. Langbein extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. So the AACU has invited him back, and this time to share with all AACU members. We will be holding a teleconference call in which Mr. Langbein and our on Dr. Kaufman of California will be will be talking about CAP and how it will affect your practice. At the end of this call we will have a moderated Q&A session.

I hope all State Representatives and Urology CAC members can participate. Below is more information on the call.

Rai Flynn
State Affairs Manager
American Association of Clinical Urologists

American Association of Clinical Urologists Alert
JOIN FELLOW UROLOGISTS & LEGAL EXPERTS FOR AN IMPORTANT TELECONFERENCE

Are you worried about not getting paid for the drugs you supply to Medicare patients for prostate and bladder cancer? Have you heard about the CAP? If not, then be sure to join our free 90-minute teleconference discussion of the Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for outpatient drugs under Medicare Part B. All urologists and practice managers are welcome.

Beginning January 1, 2006, urologists will have the choice of directly purchasing drugs and being paid based on the average sales price (ASP) methodology or choosing to obtain drugs through a CAP vendor instead. CAP vendors would bill Medicare for the drugs as well as collect beneficiary coinsurance.

Urologists interested in this program and those interested in submitting comments to CMS should participate in this informative teleconference.

Here's how the process might work:

1. A physician who decides to participate in the CAP for the upcoming year chooses one of five drug vendors who bid the lowest in a federal competition.
2. The physician orders an entire course of therapy directly from the vendor. The doctor submits patient information and expected date of administration.
3. The vendor sends the drugs in one or more shipments without charging the physician.
4. After dispensing the therapy, the physician bills Medicare for the cost of administering the drugs.
5. The vendor charges Medicare for the cost of the drugs and collects any appropriate coinsurance or deductibles from the patient.

RALLY FOR REFORM

Dear MAPU Member,

The Massachusetts Association of Practicing Urologists (MAPU) and the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) need your help.

As you can see from the attached letter from Dr. Charles Welch, President of the MMS, several pieces of legislation were filed at the request of the MMS to address various components of our existing liability statutes. On April 8, 2003, the MMS is holding a rally for professional liability reform at the State House beginning at 11:30 a.m.

MAPU strongly supports this initiative and would like to request that you join not only your colleagues, but physicians from across the state at this event. MMS and MAPU staff will be coordinating registration and transportation logistics through the MMS regional offices. We need you to join us in delivering this message!

Please take a moment and register by calling or e-mailing MAPU's chapter administrator, Ginny DuLong, calling your applicable MMS regional office, filling out the registration form at the end of this message or going on line to the MMS website at massmed.org/pages/rally.asp.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you on April 8th at the State House.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Steinberg, M.D.
President, MAPU
 

RALLY FOR REFORM

Dear Colleague:

We need you! In December, several pieces of legislation were filed at the request of the Medical Society to address various components of our existing professional liability statutes. On April 8, 2003 we are holding a rally for professional liability reform at the State House in Boston at 11:30 a.m. I am asking you and your colleagues to join us in person and let the Governor and legislators know the severity of the problem we have and the urgent need for legislation in order to avert the crises that have happened in places like Pennsylvania, Nevada and West Virginia. Picture a sea of white coats flooding the State House. This would be a powerful message to our elected officials. We need you to join us in delivering this message.

We will be coordinating registration and transportation logistics through our regional offices. MMS is willing to provide transportation from various regions across the state. Many more details will follow. At this time, I am asking you to join us in rallying for reform. Please register as soon as possible by either calling your regional office, filling out the attached registration form or going on line to the MMS website at massmed.org/pages/rally.asp. Look for more information in the coming months.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you on April 8th.

Sincerely,
Charles A. Welch, M.D.