There are at least 100 reasons to join OPMS & LSMS. These ten should convince any physician that membership in OPMS & LSMS is the best decision you can make for your practice, your patients and your profession.

As a member of OPMS & LSMS, you and your physician colleagues can enjoy all of these benefits and more for only $1.78 each day, and know that you are contributing to your profession. [see the printer-friendly PDF]

Reason #10 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Advocacy with Health Plans
In 2003 & 2004, LSMS joined a class action lawsuit against several national health insurers to seek injunctive relief to get them to stop abusive practices against physicians and patients. So far, this significant effort has resulted in a settlement with Aetna which ensures more than $100 million being refunded to physicians who were providers in the plan between 1989 and 1999, and, most importantly, ensures that Aetna will make changes in their practices and policies and stop treating patients and physicians unfairly. Another settlement has just been announced with CIGNA. and may be forthcoming with others.

Reason #9 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Medical Liability Reform
In the 2003 legislative session, LSMS successfully worked for the passage of the most farreaching administrative and substantive revision of medical malpractice and professional medical liability tort reform in the last 15 years. LSMS, and the efforts of physicians, attorneys, and legislative members of the Commission on Medical Professional Liability, were critical to these reforms. On a local level, OPMS spear-headed grassroots legislative contacts and provided educational opportunities for members on the changes needed in the state law to ensure that Louisiana remained an environment conducive to practicing medicine, unlike many states across the country which are in crisis-mode.

Reason #8 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Advocacy on Tax Issues
OPMS actively addressed the City of New Orleans’ back sales tax collections efforts resulting in a major change in the City’s strategy diverting the collection effort for outstanding taxes away from physicians. Present efforts are focusing on prospective taxes with the intention of eliminating the collection of local taxes on all medical purchases, similar to state law.

Reason #7 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Advocacy re: Medicare Formula
OPMS & LSMS efforts, together with the AMA and specialty organizations, successfully altered Medicare’s intention to enforce the faulty reimbursement formula, which, if pursued, would have resulted in an overall 19% decline in reimbursement through 2005. Efforts are still underway to permanently change the formula.

Reason #6 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Advocacy re: Contract Rights
OPMS & LSMS participated in the development of an amicus brief in the case of Van Meter
& Associates vs. McFarland which supports physicians’ rights in contract negotiations.

Reason #5 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Advocacy re: Medicaid Reimbursement
OPMS & LSMS work with both the legislators on a local level, and in discussions on a state level with DHH, to ensure that physicians’ fees are not being reduced in Medicaid budgets and that patients get access to much-needed health care.

Reason #4 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Legal & Practice Management Resource
OPMS & LSMS are instrumental in providing legal and practice management information to members in an effort to assist them in addressing key issues in their practices.
Reason #3 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Involvement in Public Health Issues
OPMS & LSMS provide excellent communication updates on public health issues, like West Nile, SARS, and Bioterrorism, and on important reimbursement and medical practice news.

Reason #2 to Join OPMS & LSMS: Helping You Fulfill Your CME Requirement
OPMS & LSMS provide online and printed CME opportunities through interactive learning
and the LSMS Journal - more than a $600 value annually, and assists a physician in obtaining the required CME for re-licensure.

And, the #1 Reason to Join OPMS & LSMS is: You Want to Practice Medicine
You want to practice medicine, and you don’t want, or have the time to be your own watchdog in the legislative, business and regulatory arenas. That’s OPMS & LSMS’s job.

[see the printer-friendly PDF]