Page 15 - Delaware Medical Journal - January/February 2019

ANNUAL MEETING
RESOLUTIONS
In a banner year for resolutions, six resolutions were presented to the Council for consideration. The resolves of each resolution as adopted by the Council are as follows.
Coding for Prior Authorization Obstacles – Adopted as presented to Council (Resolution 01-A2018)
Resolved, that MSD urge the American Medical Association to advocate for the establishment of health insurance diagnostic codes which cover and fully describe any and all such administrative and bureaucratic obstacles that may cause or in part contribute to a patient’s morbidity or mortality by both delay, as well as denial, of services.
Health Insurance Company Audits – Adopted with amendments (Resolution 02-A2018)
Resolved, that MSD advocate for insurance audits
to be both narrow in scope at the point of information gathering so patient privacy is protected; and be it further
Resolved, that MSD work with insurance companies toward requiring that they inform the patients each time an audit occurs within that patient’s medical records and for what reason; and be it further
Resolved, that MSD work with insurance companies to provide a mechanism for patients to consent or appeal the taking of their protected health information during an audit.
Delaware Healthy School Lunches – Adopted as presented to Council (Resolution 03-A2018)
Resolved, that the Medical Society of Delaware collaborates with schools to create a cohesive statewide program with the help of established resources such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Healthy School Lunch Initiative to promote nutrition education materials and instruction about healthful plant- based eating options; and be it further
Resolved, that the Medical Society of Delaware empowers Delaware schools to provide without prior
request daily plant-based lunch entrees prepared without meat or dairy products; and be it further
Resolved, that the Medical Society of Delaware educate nutrition services in Delaware schools about the risks of processed meats so that these foods are significantly reduced or even eliminated from the lunch menus.
Patient Record Requests – Adopted as presented to Council (Resolution 04-A2018)
Resolved, to direct the Medico-Legal Committee,
a joint committee of physicians and lawyers from
the Medical Society of Delaware and the Delaware
Bar Association, to develop guidance, materials, and recommendations to streamline the process of requests and responses, including copying, and clarify what is allowable under Delaware and federal law.
Use of Medication Assisted Treatment in Delaware
– Adopted as presented to Council (Late Resolution 05- A2018)
Resolved, that the Medical Society of Delaware
works with other stakeholders through education, policy advisement, and legislation to increase availability of and decrease barriers to all forms of Medication Assisted Treatment in all settings that provide care to those persons dealing with addiction in Delaware.
Updating the Delaware Health Care Decisions Statute – Adopted as presented to Council (Late Resolution 06- A2018)
Resolved, that the Medical Society of Delaware recommends the formation of a workgroup composed of members of the medical profession and legal profession to make recommendations to the legislature to update the Delaware Health Care Decisions Statute (Title 16, Chapter 25); and be it further
Resolved, that members of this workgroup might include members of the Medical Society of Delaware Committee on Ethics and Medico-Legal Affairs Committee, the Elder Law Group, as well as others with experience and expertise that may have an interest in such a project.
Del Med J | January/February 2019 | Vol. 91 | No. 1 15