Tuesday, February 27, at 6:00 p.m.: NYCMS and The Doctors Company present a virtual CME webinar, “Current Headwinds in Medical Claims Litigation: What Are the New Challenges, and What Measures Are Being Taken?” Come to this conference and hear about new problems in medical negligence litigation. Program Objectives: To examine the effect of “social inflation” (a pattern of significant increases in costs and verdicts, exceeding general economic inflation) on the cost of defending medical malpractice claims; to recognize how plaintiff counsel use the reptile theory to influence the jury (when reptiles are threatened or frightened, they go into attack mode); to describe the impact of third-party funding on litigation costs and awards (a third party provides a plaintiff with financial assistance, getting an interest in the potential recovery); to identify the influence and mind set of younger jurors at trial; and to review the trend toward “nuclear” verdicts (jury awards that surpass $10 million). Doug McCullough, Vice President of Claims for Region II of The Doctors Company, entered the medical malpractice arena in 1991 with the Medical Inter–Insurance Exchange (MIIX) and joined The Doctors Company in 2001. He provides oversight on medical malpractice cases in 26 states in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Register HERE.

Plan to Come to Albany with Us on March 12 for MSSNY’s Physician Advocacy Day. Fight back against unfair program cuts! Fight expanded practice scope for non-physicians! Fight to reduce hassles with prior authorizations and claim payment! Our NYCMS bus will leave bright and early so we can join physicians from around the state. In the morning we hear presentations by Executive Division representatives (including New York State Health Commissioner Doctor James McDonald), the Assembly and Senate Minority Leaders, and the Chairs of the Senate and Assembly Health and Insurance Committees; in the afternoon we go on our own prearranged, in–person small-group visits with Manhattan legislators. We’ll warn them about the threats we face in the Governor's proposed Budget, including: Requiring physicians to pay 50% of the Excess Medical Malpractice coverage cost; repealing authorization for MSSNY’s Committee for Physicians Health (CPH) program; and expanding the scope of practice of physician assistants, pharmacists, and dentists. We’ll also advocate for policies that address public health threats, reduce medical liability costs, remove barriers that make it difficult for patients to access care, and reduce problems with prior authorization and claim payment. Breakfast, lunch and interesting colleagues provided. Our bus leaves Albany around 4:00 p.m.; we’re back in New York City by 7:00 p.m. View MSSNY’s flyer HERE. Bring your residents and students. Register HERE.