blue cross health insurance of illinois

ISMS News Releases
News releases and statements to the media from the Illinois State Medical Society.

• ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS ON CONSTITUTIONALITY OF MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORMS
  Springfield – The Illinois Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital to determine whether the medical liability reform law, enacted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2005, is constitutional.
• SURGEON GENERAL URGES PATIENTS TO BETTER DETECT DEADLY BLOOD CLOTS ILLINOIS DOCTORS OFFER PATIENT RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL
  CHICAGO— Yesterday, the U.S. surgeon general announced a new initiative to educate both patients and doctors to better recognize dangerous leg blood clots, or “deep vein thrombosis” (DVT), and thereby reduce the numbers of DVT-related deaths, which often appear as simple leg pain.
• CONFUSED BY MEDIA’S COVERAGE OF MEDICINE? DOCTORS OFFER HELP
  Chicago, Illinois — With a flood of medical information available via the media, advertising and the Internet, patients can find it difficult to discern which information is relevant to their health and which is merely a marketing ploy or media hype.
• Statement by the Illinois State Medical Society Re: Illinois Senate Bills 1093, 1094 and 1095 in 2001
  The Illinois State Medical Society opposed Illinois Senate Bills...
• Letter to the U.S. Secretary of Education Re: Comments to the Department of Education (ED) proposed rule on the Federal Perkins Loan Program, the Federal Family Education Loan Program, and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
  The undersigned organizations appreciate the opportunity to submit the following comments on the proposed rule that would amend the federal student loan program regulations in accordance with the “College Cost Reduction and Access Act”
• STATEMENT OF ISMS PRESIDENT SHASTRI SWAMINATHAN, MD Regarding US Senate Passage of HR 6331: Medicare legislation
  Illinois doctors congratulate the U.S. Senate for its passage today of HR 6331, crucial legislation to avert a 10.6 percent Medicare reimbursement cut and to assure continued access to medical care for Illinois seniors.
• ISMS President Voices Physician Frustration
  We are shocked and frustrated that Congress has not put aside its political differences to keep Medicare patients' access to doctors uninterrupted.
• DOCTORS FILE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT BRIEF: "KEEP MEDICAL LAWSUIT REFORMS, PRESERVE PATIENT ACCESS TO CARE"
  Today, the Illinois State Medical Society and the American Medical Association filed an amicus brief asking the Illinois Supreme Court to preserve Illinois patients’ future access to medical care by upholding the state’s 2005 medical lawsuit reform law, and thereby overturning the Cook County Circuit Court’s November 2007 decision declaring it unconstitutional.
• ILLINOIS DOCTORS MEET TO DEBATE POLICY, PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES
  What: Physician delegates from across Illinois will debate and establish policy for the Illinois State Medical Society on issues such as:
• Illinois State Medical Society President Testifies on Medicaid patient access bill before State Senate Committee
  Today Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) President Rodney C. Osborn testified before the Illinois Senate Public Health Committee on the critical need to improve access to Illinois’ health care safety net programs, Medicaid and All Kids.
• Rodney C. Osborn, M.D. President – Illinois State Medical Society Senate Public Health Committee Testimony
  Good afternoon Senator Garrett, Members of the Senate Public Health Committee. I am Dr. Rodney Osborn, current President of the Illinois State Medical Society and an anesthesiologist practicing in Peoria. ISMS represents 12,000 member physicians practicing in all medical specialties throughout the state.
• DOCTORS SEEK RETAIL HEALTH CLINIC OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE PATIENT SAFETY, ADEQUATE FOLLOW-UP CARE
  Springfield, Illinois— In the interest of protecting the health and safety of patients seeking care at retail health clinics, State Representative Mike McAuliffe (R-Chicago) today introduced House Bill 5372, the “Retail Health Care Facility Permit Act.”
• VERDICT COULD DERAIL ILLINOISANS’ HEALTH CARE ACCESS - Cook County trial court declares medical litigation reforms unconstitutional
  Chicago – Today, Illinois doctors and patients received some very bad news: Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane Larsen ruled the medical litigation reforms enacted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2005 as unconstitutional.
• ISMS to ABC: Internationally-trained doctors important to patient care
  On behalf of all doctors who have received their medical training overseas, I want to thank you for issuing an apology for the derogatory statement made on "Desperate Housewives" against Philippines medical schools.
• ISMS to Congress: Fix Medicare
  The Illinois State Medical Society urges that you make it a priority this year to enact legislation that would repeal the Medicare physician payment system, replace it with a system that adequately keeps pace with increases in medical practice costs, and establish a 1.7% Medicare physician payment update in 2008, as recommended by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).
• Letter to Governor Blagojevich Re: HB 1798
  The 13,000 members of the Illinois State Medical Society respectfully request your veto on HB 1798, which would increase awards in wrongful death lawsuits.
• Statement by Rodney C. Osborn, M.D., President, Illinois State Medical Society Re: HB 1798 Passing the Illinois Senate
  The Illinois State Medical Society strongly urges the governor to veto HB 1798. This legislation is clearly a disguised “grab for cash” by the plaintiff lawyers.
• Illinois State Medical Society Affirms Support for Universal Access to Insurance Coverage; Voices Concern Regarding Illinois Covered Plan as Currently Written
  While affirming wholehearted support for universal patient access to medical insurance coverage, the Illinois State Medical Society today revealed it cannot support the Administration’s Illinois Covered initiative without significant change to key provisions. The ISMS announcement, which came after its annual House of Delegates policy session held in late April, is based on the organization’s newly-adopted ISMS Principles for Health System Reform.
• Statement by Rodney C. Osborn, M.D., President, Illinois State Medical Society Re: "Smoke Free Illinois" Legislation, SB 500
  The Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) applauds the Illinois General Assembly for its passage of the “Smoke Free Illinois” bill, also known as SB 500. This legislation, aimed at protecting the health of Illinoisans, is one of the most important public health initiatives this year.
• They’re ‘At It’ Again: Plaintiff Attorneys’ Attempts to Roll Back Medical Litigation Reforms Will Jeopardize Health Care Access for Patients
  Illinois personal injury lawyers are silently maneuvering to reverse the impact of medical litigation reforms enacted in August, 2005. Their latest stealth campaign: passage of House Bill 1798, which will seriously worsen Illinois' medical litigation crisis by adding damages for grief, sorrow, and mental suffering in wrongful death lawsuits.
• AIR's Recent Medical Malpractice Study
  Once again, it appears plaintiffs’ attorneys are using the same tired arguments to further their own interests – arguments which have been disproved time and time again.
• 2005 Medical Liability Reforms Integral to Keeping Doctors in Illinois, According to Newly Released Reality Medicine Update
  Further illustrating how critical the 2005 medical liability reforms are to keeping doctors in Illinois and to assuring continued patient access to medical care, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company today released Reality Medicine: Keeping Doctors in Illinois, which