The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians &
their patients in North Carolina
Who we are
What we do
Where you come in
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Who we are…..
The North Carolina Obstetrical and
Gynecological Society (NCOGS) is a
statewide, dues-supported membership
organization dedicated to the advancement
of women's health through advocacy,
education and public relations.
The
NCOGS is committed to representing the
best interests of Ob/Gyn physicians and
their patients.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Who we are – Organizationally
Leadership:
 Executive


Committee
Legislative Liaison
ACOG / NC Section Liaison
Management:


Executive
Administrative / Clerical
Legislative / Legal

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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Who we are – Organizationally
2008-2009 NCOGS Executive Committee:
Edward R. Newton, MD / Greenville
PRESIDENT-ELECT
John Allbert, MD / Charlotte
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Lindsay Stevenson, MD / Elizabeth City
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Ellen C. Wells, MD / Chapel Hill
PAST PRESIDENT
William E. Brown, MD / Greenville
MEETING PROGRAM CHAIR
Haywood L. Brown, MD / Durham
MEETING ARRANGEMENTS CHAIR Paige Fisher, MD / Greenville
MEMBER AT LARGE
Keith Nelson, MD / Greenville
LEGISLATIVE LIAISON
Harold Pollard, MD / Winston-Salem
PRESIDENT
Frank N. H. Harrison, Jr., MD / Charlotte
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
ACOG SECTION CHAIR
Who we are – Operationally
The NC Ob/Gyn Society is managed through an arrangement with the
North Carolina Medical Society. Services provided include:
 Financial Management
 Meeting Management
 Legislative Guidance / Lobbyist Coordination
 Managed Care Resources
 Regulatory Interaction
 Membership Management
 Organizational Interaction / Professional Relations
 Communications Management
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Who we are –
Organizationally and Operationally
What differentiates the
NC Ob/Gyn Society
from the
NC Section of ACOG
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
ACOG works primarily
in four areas:
• Serving as a strong advocate for quality health care
for women.
• Maintaining the highest standards of clinical
practice and continuing education for its members.
• Promoting patient education and stimulating patient
understanding of and involvement in medical care.
• Increasing awareness among its members and the
public of the changing issues facing women's health
care.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
• Legislative & Political Advocacy at the State Level
• Interaction with Women’s Health Agencies in N.C.
• Collaboration to Broaden Influence
• Attention to Managed Care & Reimbursement Issues
• Continuing Medical Education
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
Advocacy:
 Legislative
 Regulatory
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Advocacy: The Balance
Political Advocacy + Legislative Advocacy
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Advocacy: The Balance
Political Advocacy + Legislative Advocacy
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Political Advocacy
• GOPAC
• Relationships
Relationships
Relationships
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Direct Access Legislation - 1995
The bill required health benefit plans
issued, renewed or amended on or after
that date to allow each female plan
participant or beneficiary age 13 or older to
have direct access within the health benefit
plan, without prior referral, to an
obstetrician-gynecologist practicing within
the health benefit plan for most healthcare
services.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Post-partum Care Legislation - 1995
Requires that a health benefit plan
providing
maternity
coverage
must
provide inpatient care for mother and baby
for a minimum of 48 hours after vaginal
delivery and a minimum of 96 hours after
delivery by caesarian section .
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Tort Reform Legislation - 1995
Created minimum qualifications for experts testifying
in medical malpractice lawsuits and established a
stringent pre-screening procedure for malpractice
complaints. The bill also capped punitive damages at
$250,000 or three times compensatory damages,
whichever is greater. Punitive damages can be
awarded only if the patient can prove that the
defendant is liable for compensatory damages.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Tort Reform / Expert
Witness Legislation - 1995
Allowed up to ten written interrogatories to review
the identity and/or qualifications of an “expert”.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Contraceptive Coverage Legislation - 1999
Mandates that insurance companies and others who
provide coverage of prescription drugs and devices to
also include coverage of prescription contraceptive
drugs and devices, and for outpatient contraceptive
services.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Bone Mass/Osteoporosis Legislation - 1999
Requires health plan and insurance coverage for
bone mass measurement and evaluation of
osteoporosis.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Prompt Pay
Legislation - 2000
Requires payment or
full disclosure as to
claim problems within
30 days.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Lay Midwifery
Legislation - 2001
Bill to certify
“professional midwives”
was defeated .
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Patients Bill of Rights - 2001
The bill sets up independent external review of a
HMO’s denials if a patient disagrees, allows patients
to sue HMOs after review of the health plan and an
external independent council, allows patients to
receive necessary prescriptions even if the drug is
not on the company’s approved list, and allows
people with serious, chronic diseases to choose
specialists as their primary care physician .
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medicaid Budget - 2001
Medicaid
at 95%
secured.
reimbursement
of Medicare
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medicaid Budget - 2003
Medicaid
at 95%
secured.
reimbursement
of Medicare
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
State Budget - 2003
$300,000 appropriation the
State Folic Acid Campaign.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
State Budget - 2003
$100,000 appropriation in
2003 for the continuation
of activities performed by
the Heart Disease and
Stroke Prevention Task
Force.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medicaid Budget - 2005
Medicaid
at 95%
secured.
reimbursement
of Medicare
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Billing for Pathology
Services - 2005
Requires disclosure of
any
mark-up
in
lab
charges.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medical Liability
Reform - 2007
Establishes arbitration as
an option.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medicaid Budget - 2007
Medicaid
at 95%
secured.
reimbursement
of Medicare
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medicaid Budget - 2008
Medicaid
at 95%
secured.
reimbursement
of Medicare
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Legislative Advocacy
Medical
Liability
Reform
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Legislative Outlook - 2009
Factors:
• New Administration
• New Faces in the Legislature
Issues:
• Licensure of Certified Professional
Midwives
• State Budget – Medicaid
Reimbursement
• Retail Medicine
• Physician Profiling by Medical Board
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Regulatory Advocacy
• NC Medical Board
• NC Dept of Health
& Human Services
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Regulatory Advocacy
NC Medical Board
Physician Profiling
Rules - 2008
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Regulatory Advocacy
NC Dept of Health
& Human Services
Rules for Testing
Pregnant Women
for STDs - 2008
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Advocacy
Advocacy is not a
spectator sport. Get in
the game. Become a
Key Contact, support
GOPAC, become
locally active.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do → Advocacy
Opportunities to get involved:
 Legislative Key Contact
 White Coat Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2009)
 Doctor of the Day
 PAC Support (GOPAC & MEDPAC)
 Local Meetings w/ Legislators
 At a minimum – Be a member
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do – Practice Support
Managed Care and
Health Plan Relations
through the resources of the
North Carolina Medical Society
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
Education:
2009 NCOGS
Annual Meeting
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April 24-26
Grove Park Inn / Asheville
Mark your calendar !
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
Communications /
Public Relations
 Newsletter
 Legislative Alerts
 Media Relations / Press Releases
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
Professional Relations
Collaboration with:
 North Carolina Medical Society
 ACOG
 State Specialty Societies
 Women’s Health Agencies
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
What we do
Take initiative !
• Expert Witness Review Panel
• Women’s Health Advisory Panel
• Women’s Health Report Card
• Midwifery Collaborative Project
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Where you come in . . .
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
The NCOGS
needs every
Ob/Gyn
physician in
North Carolina
as a member.
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Including:
• Private Practice
• Academia
• Retired
• Residents
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
As our membership grows,
our voice grows!
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
As our voice grows our
chances of success grow!
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Not a member?
Join today!
Already a member?
Be sure to renew!
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina
Questions?
Contact the
NC Ob/Gyn Society:
ncobgyn@ncmedsoc.org
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The voice of Ob/Gyn physicians & their patients in North Carolina