President's
Message
Use Insurance to Pay Your Membership Dues!
Jay E. Shankar M.D., President
Many of the issues the medical society addresses everyday for the benefit of
members are difficult to measure on a dollar for dollar basis. Members sometimes
question whether they get their money's worth from their membership. One important
measurable achievement is CMA/SBCMS' protection of malpractice costs (MICRA)
that saves a California physician an average of $30,000 per year in malpractice
premiums. Another measurable effort is last year's 16.7% increase in Medi-Cal
reimbursement, the largest in 15 years. CMA and SBCMS also won an increase in
Worker's Compensation conversion factors and passed a law that requires health
plans to pay for new vaccines as fee-for-service until contracts are renegotiated.
I would like to tell you about two important benefits available exclusively to Society members that can be quantified. One is the Society's sponsored workers' compensation program. Together with CMA and 29 other county medical societies in California, our program has delivered members significant savings on their workers' compensation insurance. For example, within the last 90 days, members have saved between 6.3% and 49.8% on their workers' compensation premiums. Imagine if you saved that much? You don't have to imagine. And, you can still use your local insurance agent if you like. Why not join your colleagues who are using their insurance savings to pay their dues.
Another money savings benefit available only to Medical Society members is through the CMA sponsored Blue Shield medical program. Members and their employees may save 5% on their medical insurance premiums on any Blue Shield small Group plan for employer groups of 2 - 50. And the paperwork process is streamlined - no medical questions will be asked. If you are currently insured with Blue Shield, you are eligible to receive the discount on your plan anniversary date. And just like the workers' compensation program, you can use your local agent.
How do you access these special, money saving member only benefits? Call Seabury & Smith, our broker and program administrator, at 800-842-3761 for details and a quote today. Give it a try. Tell a non-member friend. I think you'll both be pleased.
