President's Message

Iowa Legislators & US Conressmen
Want to Hear from PCMS Doctors

As I reflect on the PCMS Legislative breakfast that took place on February 23^rd, I thought of the adage by Otto Von Bismarck: “Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made.” As physicians, the making of our laws and regulations is a very confusing process. Most of us work or think in methods that seem logical (“the knee bone connected to the thigh bone…”) or there are very defined cause and effect relationships (“If I cut here, the patient will never walk again”). The legislative process is not like that, what seems common sense and easy to solve, is not; and it usually frustrates people like us. 

Fortunately, at the PCMS, we have Kathie Lyman, our Executive Director; Frank Severino, our state lobbyist; and Dr. Steve Eckstat, our legislative chair to monitor the processes at the State Capitol. Kathie, Frank and Steve spend hundreds of hours at the Capitol; monitoring bills, sitting in on regulatory hearings and providing information to our legislators on bills and issues of interest to our member physicians and their patients. As an example, Scope of Practice issues are constantly slipped into bills or regulatory processes by other interest groups and must be watched closely. Scope of Practice issues we have been opposed to in the past are items such as PA’s practicing with no physician oversight, pharmacists providing childhood immunizations, and optometrists and chiropractors providing medical care.

At the PCMS legislative breakfast, we invited our Polk County and surrounding area legislators, as well as lead lawmakers on the committees that deal with health care issues. Many of your fellow physicians were there to discuss the current issues with our Senators and Representatives. The big topics were the cigarette tax increase (FOR), control of pseudoephedrine sales (FOR), mental health parity (FOR), Electronic Drug Database (AGAINST) and of course, tort reform (FOR).

The Iowa Legislators and the U.S. Congressmen are very interested in what Polk County Medical Society doctors and all of their constituents have to say on all of the issues. Although your e-mail or letter may not end up in front of your representative, the information is collated and processed by staffers (especially in Washington) and presented to your legislator. A short, well thought-out statement with personal experiences related to the matter makes a greater impact than a form letter or a gripe about how you “don’t like what they are doing.”

If we don’t speak out, interact with the legislators and Congressmen and get involved in the process, then laws and regulations will be formed by others and forced on us by those who do not have our or our patients interests at heart. I would strongly urge all of us to keep track of what is going on at the State Capitol, and in Washington, and speak up on the issues that concern us. Elsewhere in the Bulletin, there is a way for you to sign-up for weekly state legislative updates from Frank and the addresses of our state and federal legislators. Write to them on the issues that concern you, talk to Kathie or Frank if you have questions, join PCMS on our Fly-in to Washington, D.C. Get involved, try to understand the convoluted legislative process and make a difference in the future of healthcare in Iowa and in the country.