Advocate
Spotlight
Advocate: William “Bill” Reha, MD, MBA
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Virginia urologist William "Bill" Reha, MD,
MBA, serves as president-elect of the Virginia
Urological Society and Speaker of the House of
the Medical Society of Virginia.
Virginia urologists have taken great strides in
recent months to increase our specialty's exposure within organized medicine, as well as in
political circles.
Last September, Virginia Urologic Society
president Noah Schenkman, MD, accepted the AACU's invitation
to attend the 2011 State Society Network Conference, where, for the
Physician Representatives for advanced socio-economic sessions and
advocacy training. In the weeks that followed, the VUS engaged with
ing considered in our historic capitol's chambers. As an organization
and as individuals, we have since communicated with legislators and
made known our position on matters ranging from PSA testing to the
In my role as Speaker of the House of the Medical Society of Virginia,
I approached VUS president Noah Schenkman, MD, about partnering
(WCOC) day. Those daily advocacy and lobby days are vitally important in both sharing organized medicine's positions on issues, as well
as nurturing relationships with legislators and staffers. For urology's
WCOC day, January 17, I had several appointments with delegates
and senators from Virginia to discuss a proposed team based model of
statutes (HB 266/SB 543), Medicaid reimbursement and prostate cancer screening. As it relates to PSA testing, I warned lawmakers that
some payors no longer cover PSA screening and that men who forgo
that test are at increased risk for advanced prostate cancer. This is particularly troubling in the Commonwealth of Virginia where incidence
and mortality rates outpace the national average.
This issue received increased attention in the days following my visits,
as a House subcommittee considered a resolution calling on the State
Health Commissioner to promote and educate Virginians on early deation with the AACU proved its importance. The AACU government
relations team collaborated with VUS staff and President Schenkman
to share thorough information and mobilize our mutual memberships
in a campaign "headquartered" online at the AACU Action Center.
both organizations increase their visibility in Richmond.
State Affairs Update
By: Ross E. Weber, AACU State Affairs
Manager
Members and government affairs staff of the
American Association of Clinical Urologists
have plenty to be on the lookout for as 7,382
legislators convene in capitals across the
country.
As of this writing, more than 60,000 bills have been introduced, less
than one-half of the projected volume in this even-numbered year.
Urologists are well-aware that the most dangerous proposals are
lines in a voluminous and otherwise benign measure. Your AACU
government affairs team depends on a variety of sources to identify
those needles in a haystack, including intelligence you may gather
in chats around the water cooler or conference center conversations
gets and staff will dig deeper using the heavy equipment we employ
on a daily basis.
The AACU is engaged in multiple campaigns across the country,
while monitoring daily introductions and alerting the urologic
community to noteworthy developments on myriad issues that
impact every practice environment. Please take a moment to review
these initiatives at the AACU website.
Highlighted Campaigns
South Dakota Rejects Direct Billing
Measure, AACU Docs Play Key Role
The South Dakota Senate Health and Hutwo to reject legislation (SB 74) to require
the direct billing of anatomic pathology
services on February 6, 2012. Following
compelling testimony from AACU South
Dakota physicians, the committee tabled
the measure which would have increased
healthcare costs and limited access to
highly-advanced and specialized pathology laboratories.
The AACU wishes to thank members Matthew Witte, MD and Joseph Wyatt, MD for
appearing via telephone and in Pierre. The
practical experience they shared swayed
committee members to the correct conclusion—patient care will suffer if the state steps in to create a monopoly for an interest that hasn't been able to achieve success in the
marketplace. What's more, outrageous and slanderous claims of malfeasance were rightly rebuffed by Drs. Witte and Wyatt's measured
explanation of the ethical and legal contracts between physicians,
payors and specialty/reference labs.
As I close this column, I wish to extend thanks to AACU president
Arthur Tarantino, MD, as well as VUS president Schenkman, for their
commitment to collaboration and education on not only the political A similar pathology billing measure (HB 1221) is under active conand policy issues impacting the practice of urology, but also the vi- sideration by the Colorado House of Representatives. In Mississippi,
tal importance of grassroots mobilization and individual engagement. nearly identical language to mandate direct billing for diagnostic imWhatever your comfort level or knowledge base, the AACU and your aging has also been introduced (SB 2216).
state medical and urology societies can support your efforts and ad- Continued on page 6
vance our interests.