No compensation
Dr. Teirstein is among physician leaders who in recent years have sought to rally their colleagues to fight back against growing administrative burdens.
In a 2015 article in JAMA that was written with Medscape’s editor in chief, Eric Topol, MD, Dr. Teirstein criticized the ABIM’s drive to have physicians complete tests every 2 years and participate in continuous certification instead of recertifying once a decade, as had been the practice.
Dr. Teirstein formed the NBPAS as an alternative path for certification, with Dr. Topol serving on the board for that organization. Dr. Topol also will serve as a member of the advisory board for Teirstein’s United Physicians.
Dr. Topol wrote an article that appeared in the New Yorker last August that argued for physicians to move beyond the confines of medical societies and seek a path for broad-based activism. He said he intended to challenge medical societies, which, for all the good they do, can sometimes lose focus on that core relationship in favor of the bottom line.
Dr. Topol said in an interview that his colleague’s new project is a “good idea for a democratized platform at a time when physician solidarity is needed more than ever.”
Dr. Teirstein plans to run United Physicians on a volunteer basis. This builds on the approach he has used for NBPAS. He and the directors of the NBPAS will receive no compensation, he said, as was confirmed by the NBPAS.
In contrast, Dr. Madara made about $2.5 million in total compensation for 2018, according to the organization’s Internal Revenue Service filing. Physicians who served as trustees and officials for the AMA that year received annual compensation that ranged from around $60,000 to $291,980, depending on their duties.
“Having volunteer leadership mitigates conflict of interest. It also ensures leadership has a ‘day job’ that keeps them in touch with issues impacting practicing physicians,” Dr. Teirstein said
Start-up costs for United Physicians will be supported by NBPAS, but it will function as a completely independent organization, he added.
In introducing the group, Dr. Teirstein outlined suggestions for proposals it might pursue. These include making hospitals secure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment ahead of health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
His outline also includes suggestions for issues that likely will persist beyond the response to the pandemic.
Dr. Teirstein proposed a project for persuading insurance companies to provide online calendar appointments for peer-to-peer patient preauthorization. Failure of the insurer’s representative to attend would trigger approval of authorization under this proposal. He also suggested a lobbying effort for specific reimbursement for peer-to-peer, patient preauthorization phone calls.
Dr. Teirstein said he hopes most of the proposals will come from physicians who join United Physicians. Still, it is unclear whether United Physicians will succeed. An initial challenge could be in sorting through a barrage of competing ideas submitted to United Physicians.
But Dr. Teirstein appears hopeful about the changes for this experiment in online advocacy. He intends for United Physicians to be a pathway for clinicians to translate their complaints about policies into calls for action, with only a short investment of their time.
“Most of us have wonderful, engrossing jobs. It’s hard to beat helping a patient, and most of us get to do it every day,” Dr. .Teirstein said. “Will we take the 30 seconds required to sign up and become a United Physicians member? Will we spend a little time each week reviewing the issues and voting? I think it’s an experiment worth watching.”
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.