September – October Newsletter
News from The Office of The President
Greetings,
It is hard to believe summer is over and fall is upon us. The first four months in this new role have been spent learning more about the organization and how we operate for all members’ good. We now move into fall planning season for the next year, including conference schedules, legislative actions, and more member benefits for all.
Time is flying by. I feel that I have so much to accomplish and do. I have a fantastic team. We have had three energetic board meetings with the newest members present. All of us are committed to strengthening the organization even more.
As you know, our MEWA (Multiple Employee Welfare Arrangement) meeting regarding our proposed self-insured group plan continues to move forward. Unfortunately, our numbers are not what we are expecting. We’re finding various reasons some have not completed their portion of the work, including not wanting to divulge tax records, waiting to see how it looks first, or not understanding the savings we can provide.
There is a sense of concern from members. Still, I can assure you of the confidentiality in the process. Our MEWA advisory board or current board members do not have access to any of this information.
If we do not collect enough potential enrollees to show viability, everybody will be affected as we will not have a chance to move forward. If you think you might be interested, please speak with Robert Reed or myself so we can restart the process. Doing so does not place you under any obligation.
All will still be able to say, “no, thank you,” when we roll out the final products. There should be no extra costs for the setup. If everyone can complete the documentation requested for financial records and census, that would be great.
We have been in touch with the Maine Chiropractic Assistant Association and had a meeting recently to begin merging our two organizations into one cohesive unit. To date, the response has been positive. We continue to move forward with our proposal to combine our two organizations to serve each practitioner better.
At the same time, our Chiropractic Assistants will play a more significant role in helping this association succeed. We intend to bring bylaw changes to the Fall Conference for a formal vote on this matter. If successful, we would look to complete all details by the end of the year.
Our Executive Director, Robert Reed, and our Lobbyist, John Royce, are working in tandem on several pieces of legislation that were passed. They await funding to improve Mainecare reimbursement, allowing payment for exams required. Along with Dr. Andre Nadeau, they are working with the Governor’s office and DHHS staff to look for increased visit limits and reform the Prior Authorization form for additional care.
With next year being an election for Governor and a new legislature, John Royce will be spearheading our efforts to raise funds for the President’s Club. The club’s mission is to promote chiropractic care and support candidates we believe will most assist our offices and the patients we serve.
We will seek contributions from our members. I will ask you to be generous and remember that it is not “what you know but who you know” that allows us to move forward with our plan. It is also essential for each of you locally to know your legislators, both elected and as new candidates. Please become involved as time allows.
Anita Knopp, DC, has been sitting at the Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) for several years. She will step down and be replaced soon. At the Governor’s request, we will have two nominees for the appointment of one to the position. An official announcement should be coming soon. We are fortunate to have two passionate young doctors step forward for consideration to serve.
As you can see, we have so much in the process and much more to be accomplished. I am proud to be your President, serve the MCA, and celebrate our successes. This is only the beginning.
Best,
Luc J. Dionne, DC
President of the MCA