This year, we celebrate the 225th anniversary of the official first meeting that constituted the Connecticut Medical Society in October 1792. The Society was to educate its members on their “curious cases and obser-vations,” as well as “observations on the state of the air, and epidemical and other disorders.” The Society was actually founded in May 1792, “to contribute to the defusion [sic] of true science, and particularly the knowl-edge of the healing art.” (CSMS Charter)

In the early years of its existence, CSMS was busy developing the infrastructure for the medical profes-sion: the granting of medical licenses (degrees), determining what constituted a physician, and differentiating between physicians and those who were of not the learned arts and science. In the century and a half that followed, CSMS shifted its focus to the specific advances that would propel physicians and medical science,

into the future. In the century and a half that followed, the Society was focused on the advancement of the medical profession. In recent years, the focus has moved to advocacy for the patient and the profession.

I hope you will take a moment to look at the CSMS timeline on pages 8 – 9. From the founding of Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Institute for Living, to the world’s first tumor registry and the state’s first interoperable health information exchange, it is truly inspiring to see the many contributions of CSMS physicians to the health of Connecticut throughout the centuries.

In looking back at the achievements of CSMS, I reflect on the words of Creighton Barker, MD, the first Executive Director of CSMS, who wrote in 1947 about the Society’s purpose as a scientific and educational organization to promote the profession and protect the public. Dr. Barker spoke not only of rules and processes, but also of the need to change and evolve, to remain relevant to physicians and a benefit for and to the public.

This issue’s spotlight shines on CSMS President Steven Thornquist, MDAs he begins his term as the 179th President of CSMS, Dr. Thornquist took some time

to talk about his background, and to share some observations about the current environment of medical practice.

Unlike most CSMS leaders, Dr. Thornquist didn’t start out as a physician. Though his brother is a family physician, Dr. Thornquist thought that engineering seemed like more fun and earned a BS in Chemistry at MIT. After graduation, he headed to Arizona to work as a Motorola research engineer in semiconductor processing (he even holds a patent on a process). His brother kept encouraging him to try medicine, and after spending time as a volunteer at a local ER, medicine began to look more appealing.

Dr. Thornquist was accepted to the University of Arizona College of Medicine, then com-pleted an ophthalmology residency at the University of Pennsylvania Scheie Eye Institute and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at St. Christopher’s Hospital at Temple University.

CSMS Action News Since 1792, physicians dedicated to a healthier Connecticut

Fall 2017

Member Spotlight – Steven Thornquist, MD

(cont. on page 5)

Matthew Katz

Message from the Executive Vice President/CEO

(cont. on page 9)

2 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 3

Thanks to the combined efforts of CSMS and other state medical societies, the proposed Anthem-Cigna and Aetna-Humana mega-mergers were blocked in two separate federal district court rulings. However, the aftermath of the mergers continues here in Connecticut.

CSMS’ continued efforts to oppose the mega-mergers of Anthem-Cigna and Aetna-Humana ended successfully. Both of the mega-mergers were blocked by in two separate federal district court rulings on suits brought by the US Department of Justice and a number of state attorneys general, including Connecticut’s George Jepsen. CSMS, together with other state medical soci-eties and the American Medical Association Advocacy Resource Center and Litigation Center, provided support and assistance in these suits. It was through the combined effort of these medical associations and our legal counsels, as well as CSMS outside counsel Whatley Kallas, the state attorneys general, and the DOJ that we ultimately prevailed in the federal courts.

At the state level, CSMS continues the effort to hold the Connecticut Insurance Department accountable for its lack of trans-parency on the approval process for the Aetna-Humana merger. You may recall that CID held no public hearings and made no information available to the public during the review process. CID also decided to raise no objection to the merger in January 2017, but waited nearly five months to inform the public about its decision. In response, CSMS filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the state Freedom of Information Commission for the materials CID used in making that decision. CID’s response to the request was completely insufficient, and CSMS filed an appeal with FOIC. The Commission ordered the CID to provide all of the withheld records to the Commission for private inspection. The CID, in blatant disregard of the Commission’s order, failed to do so.

This July, the Commission ruled unanimously that the CID failed in its statutory responsibility to provide CSMS and our part-ner organizations, the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut and Connecticut Citizen Action Group, with the request-ed information. The Commission also took the unusual step of imposing a civil fine on Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade.

Despite the unanimous Commission ruling, CID has appealed in state court, claiming that the Commission misinterpreted and misapplied state law. CSMS will continue to fight for transparency and fairness, with the help and support of our General Counsel’s office, our outside legal counsel, Greg Pepe and Simon Allentuch of Neubert Pepe and Montieth, and the American Medical Association Litigation Center and its executive director Leonard Nelson, JD.

Eye on the Law

They say the sun always shines on the Biondino Classic, and this year’s tournament to benefit the CSMS Charitable Trust was no exception.

Held at Great River Golf Course in Milford, the 2017 Biondino Classic featured bright, breezy weather and a very challenging course – Golf Digest calls Great River one of America’s Top 100 courses.

Thank you to all our golfers, donors, and sponsors, whose generosity made the day a success. Special thanks go to our Biondino Classic Chairs Bob Russo, MD and Steve Fleischman, MD, for their

dedication and hard work on behalf of the Charitable Trust.If you missed the Biondino Classic, you can still support the Charitable Trust. Visit csms.org/charitable-trust to make your

tax-deductible contribution.The Charitable Trust Committee, chaired by Michael Carius, MD, is currently

reviewing donation requests and will present the awardees later this year.

CONNECTICUT STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY

C. Robert Biondino Memorial Golf Classic

Biondino Classic

At the 115th National Medical Association (NMA) Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly in Philadelphia, M. Natalie Achong, MD, MHL was a featured speaker on physician leader career development in the NMA Physician Executive section. She also also served an alumni ambassador for the Brown University Master of Healthcare Leadership program. Dr. Achong is the President-elect of HCMA. (From left: Dr. Achong; AMA President David Barbe, MD; Ngzoi Nwankpa, MD of New York).

Congratulations to Michael Carius, MD, who has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Richard Casden, MD has been selected to join the Physician Board at the American Health Council, sharing his knowledge and expertise in ophthal-mology and intraocular surgery.

Jessica Isom, MD, MPH, (at left) a second-year resident in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, has been elected to serve on the Assembly Committee of Area Resident-Fellow Members (ACORF) for the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dr. Isom will represent Area 1, which comprises psychiatric societies, branches, and associations in New England and Eastern Canada.

In his role as a Physicians Foundation board member, Gary Price, MD, MBA (at right) provided an update on the Foundation’s ac-tivities to the Organization of State Medical Association Presidents (OSMAP) General Section Meeting. Dr. Price served as CSMS President from 2205-2006.

Brian Smith, MD has been named Deputy Dean for Scientific Affairs for clinical depart-ments at the Yale School of Medicine. In an interview with Yale Daily News, Dr. Smith said that one of his “personal priority interests is to preserve and nourish the physician-scientist at Yale.”

Congratulations to Ken Yanagisawa, MD on becoming the new Chair-Elect of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Board of Governors. The election took place at the AAO-HNS Annual Meeting in September.

Members Matter

CTHealthLink, Connecticut’s first state-wide health in-formation exchange (HIE), uses technology developed by Diameter Health, the Farmington-based health informa-tion technology company.

CTHealthLink is pleased to announce that Diameter Health has received National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) certification for 21 Electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs) for 2017. NCQA certification assures providers and payers that the new technology has undergone rigorous and extensive testing.

eCQMs are indicators of the quality of care provided to a patient, including measures that reflect management of chronic diseases, preventive care received, use of appropri-ate medications and overall cost of care reductions.

These indicators are important reporting mechanisms in the era of MIPS and APM, the New Medicare Quality Payment Programs that began this year.

For CTHealthLink participants, eCQMs offer the abil-ity to leverage aggregated data in yet another actionable way, giving CTHealthLink more robust analytics capabili-ties compared with traditional EHR vendor-based analytics reporting.

The CTHealthLink analytics product compiles, aggre-gates and reports data from all providers participating in the health information exchange, and computes the quality metrics across all of the providers the patient has received care from, delivering a more accurate picture of the patient’s longitudinal medical record. This reporting method en-hances providers’ ability to successfully report quality mea-sures given they have information regarding patient care from other locations or from another providers.

Learn how CTHealthLink can help your practice: call 844-424-4368 or email Matt Katz mkatz@csms.org to schedule a demonstration.

4 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 5

He noted that engineering and medicine aren’t really that far apart, saying, “Both are based in science, and use tools, formulae, and a similar problem-solving thought process.”

With his engineering background, Dr. Thornquist was familiar with the importance of professional associations. He had been a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); although he enjoyed the professional development and camaraderie, it was a very top-down organization with little input from members.

Dr. Thornquist learned that organized medicine took a different tack when he had the opportunity to attend an AMA meeting as a first-year med student. While the free trip to Chicago was nice, he was more impressed by the AMA’s “small-d democratic approach,” where rank and file members could propose changes and have a voice in the process.

Dr. Thornquist sees CSMS providing similar support and engagement for physicians at the state level. Because CSMS represents physicians from every specialty, every type of practice, and every area of the state, it can effectively bring physician voices and con-cerns to government, insurance companies, and elected officials in a way that individual physicians, or even large groups, aren’t able to match. In addition to advocacy, CSMS provides members with practice resources, education, support, and information.

Long active in organized medicine, Dr. Thornquist has served CSMS as Associate Councilor, Treasurer, and Vice President. He is also a past President of the New Haven County Medical Association and the Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians (CSEP), and currently serves as CSEP Legislative Co-Chair. At the national level, Dr. Thornquist is completing his service in the American Academy of Ophthalmology Secretariat for State Affairs (2008 – 2017), and will begin his term as an Alternate AMA Delegate for New Haven County in January 2018.

(cont. on page 8)

Member Spotlight – Steven Thornquist, MD (cont. from page 1)

The profession of medicine is “an incredible privilege and responsibility.”

CSMS Legislative AgendaThe CSMS Legislative Committee and its Specialty Society sub-committee have begun the process of developing the 2018 legislative and advocacy agenda. This inclusive process sets priorities and expectations for the coming year. The Committee will keep CSMS members updated on agenda development through Action News and Weekly E-News. In addition, any member interested in pursuing a legislative or advocacy initiative should contact their County CSMS Councilors or a member of the CSMS Legislative Committee. Any questions or issues can also be brought to the attention of the CSMS SVP of Government Affairs Ken Ferrucci (203-865-0587 x106 or kferrucci@csms.org.)

Scope of Practice Review Process BeginsAfter several years of seeing scope of practice legislation introduced in the

Public Health Committee, thanks to successful CSMS advocacy, the Connecticut State General Assembly enacted Public Ac 11-209 in 2011, establishing a process for any health profession seeking to alter its scope of practice.

The process begins when a group seeking a scope change submits a request for review to Department of Public Health (DPH).

There is no guarantee that a submission will be selected for scope review. If the DPH determines that the request should be formally reviewed, the committee will include representatives of potentially impacted professions. Professions submitting impact statements are granted two seats on the committee. Findings of the review committee are then provided to the Public Health Committee of the General Assembly.

While submission to DPH for review is not mandatory, the General Assembly has not recently responded favorably to re-quests that have not gone through the review process.

CSMS has responded to and participated in many scope of practice reviews since the law was enacted, including: • Physician Assistants • Naturopaths • Homeopaths • Athletic Trainers • Medical Assistants • Definition of Surgery discussions • APRNsParticipation in the process takes time and resources, and requires the commitment of many volunteer physicians to attend meetings and review material.

The scope review process includes the following: • Submission of a request by a profession (August 15) • Submission of impact statements by potentially impacted professions (October 1) • Response from submitting profession to impact statements (October 15) • Determination of review committees and appointment of members (November 1) • Report to the Public Health Committee of findings (February 1)

All previously submitted requests and subsequent reports are available on the DPH website at www.ct.dph.gov.

This includes requests for this year, which are currently being reviewed and responded to by CSMS:Connecticut Association of Addiction Professionals Seeking clarification of language included in recently enacted legislation and its impact & requirements of their professionConnecticut Art Therapy Association Seeking licensure of Clinical Art TherapistsConnecticut Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Seeking an Associate or Provisional License for Marriage and Family TherapistsConnecticut Academy of Physician Assistants Moving from a required Delegation Agreement to a Collaboration status, as recently required by APRNs. Connecticut Psychological Association Allowing prescriptive authority for psychologists who obtain a Master of Science Degree in psychopharmacology Connecticut Society of Respiratory Care Certain interpretations of current scope

Legislative/Regulatory

Angelo S. Carrabba, MD was a physician leader in the truest sense of the term. An obstetrician-gynecologist for nearly four decades, Dr. Carrabba was known for his commitment to the profession of medicine, and for his dedication to his patients and their health.Dr. Carrabba’s compassion was not limited to his patients. He was critical in the de-velopment of HAVEN, an organization providing support to health care professionals who face health concerns related to alcoholism, substance abuse, behavioral or mental health issues and/or physical illness. He led the organization as its first president and chairman, and continued to serve on the HAVEN board.

The Angelo S. Carrabba, MD Foundation will honor his legacy, encouraging physician leadership, patient advocacy, and support for women and children, by providing financial and community resources within Connecticut. The Carrabba family is working to develop the Foundation, and is considering a number of potential Foundation awards, including a Physician Leadership Award, Physician Community Leader Award, Mentoring Award, Family Community Fund, and Outstand-ing Medical Student.

Additional information about the Carrabba Foundation and donation opportunities will be available in the coming months.

6 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 7

Quality Improvement in CME – December 18

“Continuing medical education (CME) has the power and capacity to address many challenges in the health care environment, from clinician well-being to national im-peratives for better health, better care, and lower cost.”

– Graham T. McMahon, MD, MMSc

It’s surprising how few health care leaders have embraced the continuing professional develop-ment of their human capital as an organizational responsibility and opportunity. CME must have active support and engagement from institutional leaders and the medical staff.The summit will provide participants with an opportunity to: • Leverage the strength of CME to meet physician needs for education and competency and provide greater relevance to the new models for performance measurement using QI metrics. • Recruit young physician leaders into departments of medical education, who can transform the traditional grand round approach to learning, to one of performance and practice improvement. • Join the Quality Improvement & Continuing Medical Education (QI CME) Leadership TeamWe are pleased to have Graham T. McMahon, MD, MMSc as our keynote speaker. Dr. McMahon is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Register online at http://csms.org/qicme

Coming Events Physicians in Action: Puerto Rican Medical Relief Efforts

CSMS members Marietta Vazquez, MD and Marian Acevedo-Alvarez, MD have been active in raising supplies, funds, and awareness for Puerto Rican relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Dr. Vazquez, a pediatrician and Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine, helped coordinate efforts by Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Yale School of Medicine, and Yale-New Haven Hospital to collect two thousand pounds of criti-cal supplies, including medicines and sterile equipment. She continues to work with hospitals around the country to get needed supplies to the island. “The list just became longer and longer: it was very clear that medical relief was necessary.” (NB Herald)

Dr. Alvarez, a Yale OB/GYN resident and an alumna of the 2016 – 2017 CSMS Young Physicians’ Leadership Curriculum program, has been working with Dr. Vazquez. She was also a guest on WTIC’s Healthy Rounds program to discuss the need for medical supplies and relief. At recent meetings of the CT Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery Society and the CT Urology Society, Dr. Acevedo Alvarez was able to collect a trunkful of medical samples, and also received over $1100 in donations. The CT Derm Society generously matched their members donations – other societies are encouraged to do the same!

From left: Dr. Acevedo-Alvarez; CT Urology Society Executive Director Debbie Osborn; CSMS Legislative Chair David Emmel, MD.

To learn how you can assist in the recovery efforts, please email puertorriquenos.connecticut@gmail.com, call 787-525-2083, or visit https://www.facebook.com/PuertoRicoRisesCT/.

Quality Matters: The New Data Dilemma

Physicians, practice managers, quality champions, and other medical professionals need to effectively use clinical data in order to transition into the new era of data driven healthcare.

Join CSMS, KaMMCO Health Solutions, and CTHealthLink for a timely CMS program on the effective use of clinical data. The program will be offered at two convenient times and locations:

u Monday, December 11 // 5:30 – 8 pm at the New Haven Lawn Club Dinner program – hosted by the New Haven County Medical Association

uTuesday, December 12 // 11:30 am – 1:15 pm at the Baci Grill Lunch program – hosted by the Hartford County Medical Association

When Medicare’s payment programs reward quality over quantity, it’s clear the road to success relies upon confi-dence in high quality, accurate data, secured in a trusted health information exchange that delivers clear analysis of patient and population healthcare trends. Physicians must identify and treat at-risk populations, proactively engage patients sooner, and understand the performance of health interventions on health outcomes and reduced cost.

This presentation is designed to provide physicians and clinicians with the knowledge to drive quality improvement and transform healthcare through the application of meaningful data analytics for quality reporting, population health management, risk management, and clinical effectiveness.

The program will be presented by Laura McCrary, EdD, Senior Vice President, KaMMCO Health Solutions, Inc. (KHS), and Executive Director, Kansas Health Informaiton Network, Inc. (KHIN).

The activity has been approved for AMA PRA Catetgory 1 Credits™.

8 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 9

Among Dr. Thornquist’s goals for his term are expanding efforts to diversify CSMS membership and improve efforts to men-tor young physicians. As the face of medicine is changing, CSMS must modernize its message and improve its reach to include more minorities, women, and younger physicians.

Looking at trends in medical practice, Dr. Thornquist observed that there has been a profound shift from the fee-for-service, solo practitioner “Marcus Welby” model to a more corporatized, evidence-based, and data-driven environment. Some of these changes are for the better: medical technology has advanced considerably, and patient care is more closely coordinated. Dr. Thornquist is on the advisory board of CTHealthLink, the new physician-led Health Information Exchange (HIE) that pro-vides physicians and patients with near real-time health information.

At the same time, however, many of these changes have reduced physician autonomy. The profession of medicine is “an incred-ible privilege and responsibility,” noted Dr. Thornquist. “The patient-physician relationship affects the quality of care in a way that’s hard to measure with a data set.” In this challenging environment, CSMS is working to defend the profession of medicine, and to ensure that physicians are an integral part of the redesign of medical care.

In his limited free time, Dr. Thornquist enjoys hiking and skiing. He and his wife Betsy like to travel, visiting their adult children on the west coast, as well as European venues.

Member Spotlight – Steven Thornquist, MD (cont. from page 5)

May – Act of Incorporation for the Connecticut State Medical Society is passed by the CT General Assembly

October – First meeting of CSMS held in Middletown, CT. Colonel Leverett Hubbard elected first president

1812 – CSMS and Yale College form the Medical Institution of Yale College; jointly administered for 75 years

1822 – CSMS member Dr. Eli Todd serves as the first medical director of the Hartford Retreat (now the Institute of Living), the first hospital for “lunatics”

1816 – CSMS member Dr. Mason Fitch Cogswell helps to establish the first US School for the Deaf in Hartford

1826 – CSMS, as part of the General Hospital Society of CT, establishes a general hospital in New Haven (now Yale-New Haven Hospital). Opens in 1833

1892 – CSMS Centennial

Celebration

1893 – CT Medical Practice

Act was passed

1936 – CSMS begins publishing Connecticut Medicine, the society’s scientific, peer-reviewed journal

1973 – CSMS begins

CME Accreditation of Hospitals in Connecticut

1986 – CSMS forms

the CSMS-IPA / M.D. Health

Plan

1867 – CSMS helps to establish CT Valley Hospital in Middletown1856 – Hartford Hospital was

established

1847 – National medical convention, led by CSMS physician Jonathan Knight, founds the American Medical Association

1961 – UConn School of Medicine was established

2017 – CSMS introduces CT’s first statewide health information exchange (HIE)

“Remembering the Past...Looking to the Future”

1793 – CSMS begins

physician licensure in Connecticut

1841 – CSMS members

recommend legislation to form a state registry

of deaths and their causes 1860 –

The AMA holds its 13th convention

in New Haven

1873 – CSMS members

recommend legislation to form a State Board

of Health

1792 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2017

1935 – CSMS leads efforts

to establish the CT Tumor Registry, the world’s first

cancer registry

1947 – CSMS incorporates

Connecticut Medical Service, the forerunner of CMS-Blue Shield

1974 – CSMS begins publishing SportsMed newsletter

1988 – CSMS establishes the CSMS Charitable Trust

1995 – CSMS establishes the Physician Health and Education Fund

1983 – CSMS

incorporates the Connecticut Peer

Review Organization – CPRO, now Qualidigm

1984 – CSMS establishes

the Connecticut Medical Insurance Co.

(CMIC)

1993 – CSMS promotes

efforts for Workers’ Compensation

Reform

1999 – “Aetna is

Playing Doctor with Our Patients!”

CSMS Ad Campaign

2015 – CSMS hosts

statewide Healthcare Disparities Symposium

2009 – CSMS receives

$400,000 Healthcare Disparities Grant from

Connecticut Health Foundation

2010 – CSMS creates

DVD: Care in Context: The Physician’s Role in

Reducing Health Disparities

2008 – CSMS publishes

the Connecticut Physician Workforce Survey

2001 – CSMS Class

Action Lawsuits begin against

7 HMOs

2004 – Historic

Aetna and Cigna settlements of national class action covering

700,000 MDs

2007 – CSMS efforts

lead to passage of PA07-103, establishing HAVEN,

a confidential assistance program for health care

professionals

For 225 years, CSMS has stayed true to its mission: to be the voice of all Connecticut physicians; to lead physicians in advocacy; to promote the profession of medicine; to improve the quality of care; and to safeguard the health of our patients.

2014 – CSMS helps form non-profit health insurance co-op

2014 – CSMS receives

grant from Physicians Foundation to create the Young Physicians’

Leadership Curriculum

2015 – CSMS launches

statewide ACO, part of PACs national

ACO

As CSMS moves toward its 226th year, now more than ever, it must continue to evolve and reflect the times we live in and the practices of our members. As President John F. Kennedy once stated, “change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”

I wish to thank my predecessors Creighton Barker, MD, William R. Richards, MD, and Timothy B. Norbeck for successfully carrying the mantle of change. Thanks, too, to the dedicated staff and physicians who have worked on behalf of the Medical Society to further its mission. May we continue to move forward together, inspired by the triumphant past and working to ensure that we flourish in the future.

Message from the Executive Vice President/CEO (cont. from page 1)

Are You Plugged In? Connect with CSMS.Do we have your email? Go to www.csms.org and sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s time to be well-informed on all the latest medical news and events.

10 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 11

Simple Tips for Ramping Up Your Retirement Savings

No matter where you are in your life, saving for retirement is likely one of your most important financial goals. But, even if you have professional guidance and a clear strategy for your desired future, you could still be missing some straightforward ways to maximize your savings.

The reality is: Most people do not save enough money for retirement. In fact, the National Institute on Retirement Security estimates that Americans have at least a $6.8 trillion gap between the amount they have saved and the amount they need. Alarmingly, they found the gap could be as high as $14 trillion.

We are always here to help you address major life events and financial changes, but we also want to share some simple ways to increase your savings now.Reevaluate Small Budget Items

Changing major aspects of your budget – such as your housing or healthcare costs – can significantly impact your savings potential, but may also take time to implement. To start saving more today, look at the little places where you spend money and see where you can trim your expenses. For example, do you eat lunch out every day or buy a specialty coffee most mornings? Do you have entertainment packages you aren’t really using, such as cable TV or online memberships? Saving a few dollars each day can add up to thousands of dollars over a year, which is money you can put toward your retirement.Remember to Imagine the Retirement You Desire

Effective retirement strategies often focus on building a clear vision of how you would like to spend life after your career. As you go about your daily life and make financial decisions, how often do you reflect on this vision? Rather than only thinking about your retirement goals during financial reviews or major choices, start incorporating this picture into your regular decision-making process. For example, each time you make a purchase, ask yourself if you’d rather have this item or put the money toward the retirement you desire. You may discover that by grounding each purchase in this way, you spend less on items you don’t really care about – and have more money to put toward the retirement you’ve dreamed about.Capture Your Employer’s Full 401(k) Match

U.S. employees lose $24 billion a year by not saving enough in their 401(k) to claim their company’s full matching. If your em-ployer matches your retirement contributions, make sure you contribute at least enough to claim what is essentially free money. And if you are age 50 or older, remember that you can contribute an extra $6000 each year to your 401(k) on top of the $18,000 annual limit.Invest Additional Funds

When you receive a raise, bonus, tax refund, inheritance, or other financial windfall, spending the funds can be very tempt-ing. Instead, if you choose to invest this money into your retirement, you can boost your savings without affecting your current bottom line. In addition, if you put a bonus into a 401(k) or IRA, you may also enjoy tax benefits and not owe anything until you withdraw the funds.

Saving for retirement is a big responsibility, but it does not have to be a burden. With these simple changes – and support from professionals who care about your future – you can focus on creating a lifestyle that matches your dreams. If you have questions about these retirement tips or would like us to help you with your wealth planning needs, please contact MJP Wealth Advisors at (860) 677-7755. MJP Wealth Advisors, 790 Farmington Avenue, Building 3, Farmington, CT 06032Phone: 860-677-7755, Email: advice@mjpassociates.com

Securities offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC. Investment advisory and insurance services offered through MJP Associates, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor, not affiliated with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. These are the views of Platinum Advisor Marketing Strategies, LLC, and not necessar-ily those of the named representative, Broker dealer or Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named Broker Dealer or Investment Advisor gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial advisor for further information.

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/01/12-jaw-dropping-stats-about-retirement.aspxhttps://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/01/12-jaw-dropping-stats-about-retirement.aspxhttps://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/01/12-jaw-dropping-stats-about-retirement.aspxhttps://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/irs-announces-2017-pension-plan-limitations-401k-contribution-limit-remains-unchanged-at-18000-for-2017http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/slideshows/10-painless-ways-to-save-more-for-retirement?slide=5

12 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 13

Need one more reason to join or renew your membership with CSMS?

How about more than 30? CSMS Affinity Partners

Physicians today are being squeezed between rising costs and shrinking reimbursements. With Banking and Financial Services, Insurance Products, Practice Resources, Supplies, and Travel/Lifestyle, CSMS Affinity Partners help members keep more money in their pockets and in their practices.

Banking and FinancialHSA BankMJP Wealth AdvisorsTransworld SystemsTSYSWebster Bank

Insurance ProductsCSMS Insurance AgencyCoverysKaMMCoProAssurance

Practice ResourcesApproved Storage & Waste Hauling, Inc.CT Drug CardCTHealthLinkDocbookMDEpocratesFAIRHealthFavorite Healthcare Staffing, Inc.Informed MessagingInfoshredMCAGNational Physician ServicesNovus Healthcare Inc.RubiconMDStaples Advantage®

SuppliesColonial Business Forms, Inc.Crown Healthcare Apparel ServiceRx Security

Travel & LifestyleBrooks BrothersExecutive Valet ParkingHertzLocal HospitalityThe Parking SpotTown Fair Tire US Fleet AssociatesValvoline

Physicians Caring for Connecticut

For more information, contact John Bermudez

203-865-0587 x122jbermudez@csms.org

or go tohttps://csms.org/affinity-partners/

It’s Not Too Late for MIPS

Did you know that you can protect your practice from a 4% cut in Medicare reimbursement in 2019 by reporting a minimal amount of data in 2017?

It’s called the “test” option for MIPS reporting. Submit a small amount of data in 2017: • Report one Quality measure or • Attest to one Improvement Activity or • Attest to 4 or 5 required Advancing Care Information measures (depends on EHR edition).

If you select the Quality test option, report one measure on one patient on one day. Add the quality data code to a CMS-1500 claim form, and submit the claim no later than 2/28/18. Recommended: report on more than one patient to ensure CMS receives sufficient data.

Heads Up for 2018CMS released the MACRA Final Rule and there are a number of changes that may affect your MIPS participation.

There will be fewer Reporting options in 2018. The 2017 “Pick Your Pace” option (Test, 90-Day, Full Year) will not be available. There will be no Test op-tion; there will also not be a 90-Day option for Quality data reporting – you must report a full year.

The Exemption Threshold has been expanded from <$30K or <100 patients to <$90K or <200 patients.

The Performance Threshold has been increased from 3 points to 15 points. (This won’t be hard to reach: a small practice could attest to one high-weight Improvement Activity for 90 days.)

There are opportunities for Bonus Points, including up to 5 points for Complex Patient Care, and up to 10 points for exclusive use of 2015 Edition Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT).There are also a number of changes that will benefit Small Practices (<15 Eligible Clinicians): • 5 bonus points added to final score • 3 points for Quality measures that don’t meet data completeness requirements • New hardship exception for Advancing Care Information (ACI) practice category • Virtual Groups – registration deadline extended to 12/31/17

MIPS Scoring 2017

MIPS Scoring 2018

MIPS Scoring 2019

Quality

ACI

Cost

IA

CSMS MACRA Resources• Program updates & deadline reminders (csms.org/medicare)• Download free, on-demand CSMS webinars (csms.org/macra)• Additional CSMS member MACRA resources (csms.org/macramember) – MIPS Navigator TM tool available free of charge – PAI interactive resources – CSMS staff can provide personalized assistance – CSMS Weekly E-News “MACRA Corner”

14 • C S M S A C T I O N N E W S W W W . C S M S . O R G / A C T I O N N E W S • 15

Cost Effective, Reliable ServiceFlattering and Fashionable StylesComfortable and PersonalizedEco Friendly Reusable ClothOSHA BBP Compliant

3

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Crown Healthcare Apparel Programs & Medical Linen Services Help Your Facility Combat the Spread of Infection

When your medical practice needs a convenient, cost-effective healthcare apparel program, let Crown fit each member of your staff with their own personal set of scrubs, warm-up jackets, and lab coats. Your medical apparel will be hygienically laundered to the highest OSHA BBP standards and delivered back to your office every week with no up-front cost to you.

Young Physician Leadership Curriculum Returns

The Young Physician Leadership Curriculum (YPLC) program returns for its third year, with generous support from The Physicians Foundation and a new partnership with Yale-New Haven Health.To succeed in today’s changing healthcare landscape, physicians in training need more than clinical skills. They also need a basic understanding of healthcare policy, leadership, and physician advocacy.The YPLC provides young physicians with a comprehensive skill set, enhancing their ability to influence practice and policy development on a local, regional, and national level. Young physicians are defined as residents, fellows, and those in practice up to eight years or 40 years of age, whichever comes last.The program is an outstanding opportunity for young physicians to:

u Develop effective leadership skills u Improve networking skills u Build executive decision-making skills u Develop effective negotiation skills u Strengthen emotional intelligence u Assess the intricacies of organizational behaviorOpen only to CSMS members, the YPLC program is free of charge.

Questions? Email Catherine Wagner, EdD or call 203-865-0587 x102.

www.csms.org

Please visit our website to view information about CSMS programs, services, and member benefits. You can also view Connecticut Medicine, Action and SportsMed newsletters online, update your profile, or find one of your Connecticut colleagues. CSMS continues to make every effort to update our benefits and services to better serve you and the entire membership.If you have comments or questions concerning our site email kellyr@csms.org or call us at 203-865-0587.

Action is a publication of the Connecticut State Medical Society, a nonprofit organization of Connecticut physicians. President—Steven C. Thornquist, MD

Executive Vice President/CEO—Matthew C. Katz, MSManaging Editor—Kelly Gilbert Raskauskas kellyr@csms.org

Your comments and suggestions are welcome.Connecticut State Medical Society

127 Washington Avenue, East Building, 3rd Floor, North Haven, CT 0473

Phone 203-865-0587 • Fax 203-865-4997 • www.csms.orgArticles, editorials, and advertisements published in Action do no necessarily represent the official position or endorsement of the Connecticut State Medical

Society itself. The newsletter reserves the right to make the final decision on all content and advertisements.

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