The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Board of Directors met on October 23, 2024, to address a number of timely issues including the 2025 budget, strategic planning, and legislative and payer activities. Because the Board reviews the organization’s strategic priorities annually in October, much of the discussion was focused on challenges physicians are experiencing, opportunities for positive change, and how MSMS can best align resources to support physicians in their work. Following their thorough and thoughtful review, the Board approved the following 2025 MSMS Strategic Priorities:

Physician-led Teams

MSMS will continue to advocate for physician-led, team-based health care, oppose unwarranted scope of practice expansions, and support efforts that preserve the physician patient relationship.

Practice Sustainability

MSMS will continue its advocacy for sensible reforms that improve Michigan’s practice environment for physicians including, but not limited to actuarily sound reimbursement, physician recruitment and retention strategies, preserving Michigan’s existing tort reforms, and clinical decision-making by physicians not corporations. 

Advance Health Equity

MSMS will continue its efforts to advance health equity through interprofessional learning and the implementation of recommendations presented in the MSMS Health Equity Roadmap for Change. The Roadmap provides a framework of internal and external goals, objectives, and recommendations to guide MSMS’s efforts to eliminate health disparities, dismantle racism from medicine, and foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusivity.

Other notable take-aways from the meeting include:

• Adoption of the 2025 MSMS budget.

• Opposition to House Bill 5915, which would expand audiologist’s scope of practice to include “prescribing [audio amplification systems].”

• Discussion of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s decision to no longer cover Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound for weight loss for the members of its large commercial groups as of January 1, 2025. 

• Discussion of MDPAC endorsements.

• Receipt of informational reports regarding MSMS staff activities including the following

  • Submission of public comments on behalf of MSMS regarding the proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and proposed Michigan regulations related to Universal Blood Lead Testing.

  • Legislative activity during September and October and ongoing advocacy efforts.

  • Subsidiary activities.

  • New legal alert on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and related regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in health programs or activities that receive federal assistance, so physicians and practices are aware of and compliant with the latest updates.

  • Represented Michigan physicians in meetings with health plans, coalitions, and advisory groups such as the Michigan Overdose

  • Prevention Coalition, CPAN, Michigan Medical Billers Association Annual Expo, Social Care and Health Equity Payer Policy

  • Alignment Group, and MiHIN Operations Advisory Council.

  • Hosted a virtual No Surprises Act Roundtable as part of MSMS’s Practice Management Webinar Series.