Issue 1 • Spring 2019
Ross Taubman, DPM
PICA Presidentdroppable-1557264747607
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Colleagues,

The newness of 2019 has come and gone. As we enter the second quarter of the year, I step back and reflect on where we are in achieving our goals set for 2019 and how they nest themselves in the years to come.

Like you, we feel the pressures of our changing world; be it technological, regulatory, or healthcare related or a mixture of all. We prioritize these pressures with the backdrop of our mission -
“We exist to Protect Podiatrists.” It is what we always come back to when planning for the future or making decisions.

Committing to our mission requires us to ask ourselves how we can enhance our focus on protecting our customers. This may require us to lean on technology more or close the gap on processes to enable you to have a better experience when you need our expertise. Most recently we improved the following as it relates to protecting you, our customer:

  • With cyber security at the top of everyone’s list, we enacted Multi-Factor Authentication for accessing our website and gaining access to your policy documents and etc.

  • We outsourced premium payments to Clearwater Payments, a leading electronic billing and payment provider. While the primary driver of this change was to meet the Federal requirements of PCI Compliance, the move to Clearwater also delivers secure and convenient electronic consumer payment options with unsurpassed quality and customer service. Some of the exciting new benefits and enhancements which enable greater security and flexibility include:
  • Secure and convenient payments by smartphone, tablet or computer.

  • 24/7 Quick Pay or Pay by Phone – no login required.

  • The ability to schedule payments up to 21 days in advance.

  • The option to receive email and text reminders.

  • The option to enroll in e-Wallet to use your smartphone’s wallet app to make or schedule a payment.

  • We continue to seek ways to offer even more value to help you run your business either through our risk management webinars and lectures or through various partnerships which provide value. As you may be aware, we partnered with:

  • Professional Solutions to provide a preferred rate for you to process credit card payments within your office.

  • Practice Valuation Group to provide valuation and practice management services for solo and group practices.

  • TLD Systems to provide a turnkey solution to meet federally required HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance.

If you are not familiar with these programs offered through these partnerships, please call us today. We are here to help.
Even with some of these measures in place, we recognize we have improvements to make as we advance forward. We see improvements as an opportunity to grow and reinvest in our employees, community, and podiatry. We look forward to sharing the fruits of our labor when serving you and your practice.

Thank you for being part of PICA and helping us continue to do what we do best – protect the practice of podiatry.

Kindest regards,



Ross E. Taubman, DPM
President and Chief Medical Officer
ADMINISTRATIVE DEFENSE COVERAGE (ADC): WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE.
You’ve seen the term “Administrative Defense Coverage (ADC),” but do you really know what it is and understand why it’s so important to your practice?

An administrative claim is very different than a malpractice claim. For example, ADC provides defense for board actions brought against you, whereas malpractice insurance provides defense and indemnity for liability actions.

So why is ADC important? Because an administrative claim could cost you your livelihood! If your podiatric medical license is revoked, you’ve lost your ability to practice. Your professional reputation is irrevocably damaged and your medical career is over. Let that sink in.

Although a lawsuit is damaging, an ADC claim could result in the loss of your ability to practice.
CLAIMS-MADE STEP FACTOR
One of the most common questions we hear from our policyholders is about the rate increase on a claims-made policy, also known as the “claims-made step factor.” With a claims-made policy, the rates are usually based on a four-year schedule, with rates increasing each year until they reach maturity at year five. The first year of a new policy, because the risk of loss is less, the premium is lowest. The premium increases as the exposure to risk increases; usually by the fifth year of the claims-made policy, the risk of loss levels off and the "step factor" reaches a mature claims-made rate.

JOINING A HOSPITAL? YOU CAN KEEP YOUR PICA POLICY.
ONE PODIATRIST'S EXPERIENCE.
I have been a hospital employee for over a year now, and I can honestly say, after much personal debate and skepticism, it was a change for the better. I finished a four-year residency in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and went right into private practice with a partner in a small, rural town in South Carolina. After the initial craziness of a new location, new practice and new lifestyle, I settled in and now call this charming town my home.

As we were the only two podiatric surgeons in a 40-mile radius, our practice developed quickly with one main office and three satellite offices. That is, until medicine suddenly became technologically mandated and our overhead skyrocketed. Small practices are struggling to survive in this costly setting. More and more podiatric physicians are seeking financial security through large group practices, multispecialty practices and hospital settings.


GREAT NEWS FROM PICA!
We are excited to bring additional new features, security and convenience to our payment process.
Your protection has always been our first priority. Now we are going even further to ensure your personal information is safe.

Effective March 1, 2019, PICA has selected a leading electronic billing and payment provider, Clearwater Payments, as our payment provider. Clearwater delivers secure and convenient consumer payment options with unsurpassed quality and customer service.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR ENTIRE PRACTICE ALL IN ONE PLACE
There is no need to shop around! Along with your PICA medical professional liability insurance, you can find coverages for your entire practice from the ProAssurance Agency.

Coverages include:
  • Business Owners Policy (BOP)
  • Cyber Liability
  • Employment Practices Liability (EPLI)
  • Regulatory Risk Protection/MEDEFENSE® Plus
  • Workers' Compensation

Contact PICA's in-house ProAssurance Agency representative, Jeremy Taylor, to learn more about our single-source solution for your insurance needs.

(800) 251-5727, ext. 2024

HIPAA requires every covered entity to have a plan to protect patient records to ensure you are HIPAA compliant.
A HIPAA risk assessment is a thorough look at your workplace to identify situations, processes, etc. that may cause harm to your patient information. 

Need a plan? 
TLD Systems will assist you with this vital component of HIPAA compliance.

TLD Risk Assessment Method:
  • Identify harmful hazards and risk factors
  • Analyze and evaluate the hazardous risk associated
  • Determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard
Contact TLD Systems to learn more at pica.tldsystems.com
PICA ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Carly Robbins, DPM
PICA Policyholder since 2008

Dr. Carly Robbins is originally from Cleveland, OH and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH with a BA in psychology in 2001. She attended the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, OH and graduated in 2005. Dr. Robbins completed a three year podiatric medicine and surgical residency at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, OH where she was chief resident. In 2008, she began private practice.

DO YOU KNOW PICA?
RISK MANAGEMENT WEBINAR
How to Properly Document DME and Avoid Paybacks, Fines and More...

Course Description
A quick overview of the auditing process will enable you to properly document.

Learning Objectives
  1. Review of the essential documentation requirements for dispensing DME products
  2. Learn how to avoid "Same & Similar" billing denials
  3. Review the process surrounding how Medicare Part B data can be used "for and against you”
UPCOMING TRAVEL SCHEDULE
May 15-18
Ohio Foot and Ankles Scientific Seminar
Columbus Hilton at Easton
Columbus, OH
Risk Management Lecture
Thursday, May 16 • 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Everything Electronic and the Impact on Your Practice
Aimee Lipkis, Esq.
Up to 15% discount
May 16-19
Podiatry Institute: Stepping Forward - Leading the Way
Loews Atlanta Hotel
Atlanta, GA
Risk Management Lecture
Saturday, May 18 • 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Amputations: It Can Happen to Anyone
Michelle Butterworth, DPM
Up to 10% discount
May 17-19
Oklahoma Spring Symposium
Oklahoma City Downtown Sheraton
Oklahoma City, OK
May 29-June 1
5th Annual ACFAP Foot and Ankle Conference
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Black Bear Inn
Gatlinburg, TN
June 6-9
FPMA Summer Conference
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa
Bonita Springs, FL
June 20-23
The Western
Disneyland Hotel and Convention Center
Anaheim, CA
Risk Management Lecture
Saturday, June 22 • 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Everything Electronic and the Impact on Your Practice
Aimee Lipkis, Esq.
Up to 15% discount
June 20-23
Podiatry Institute: Footprints in the Sand
Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa
Hilton Head, SC
Risk Management Lecture
Saturday, June 22 • 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Mitigating Complications in the Vascular Compromised Patient
Scott Roman, DPM
Up to 10% discount
Call us before hiring an attorney!
You may not be aware, but if you are ever faced with an audit, your ADC covers hiring an attorney. There is no reason to take on this responsibility yourself. Our attorneys are highly skilled in trying podiatry cases.
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