|
|
|
|
NEED TO KNOW
|
Reminder: Vermont Physicians May be Entitled to Damages Against MultiPlan Over Health Care Price-Fixing
As shared in the Rounds in November, the Vermont Medical Society has joined the MultiPlan Antitrust Litigation as a plaintiff. This is a federal antitrust action against MultiPlan (recently rebranded as Claritev), a healthcare data firm, and leading health insurance companies, including UnitedHealth, Elevance (Anthem), Humana, Aetna, Cigna, and various Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) entities. VMS joining the lawsuit does not make our members individual plaintiffs. Individual physicians, practices and facilities may be entitled to significant financial damages against MultiPlan and other insurance companies.
Plaintiffs allege these companies participated in a coordinated price-fixing conspiracy to generate billions in profits for MultiPlan and insurance providers by forcing physicians to accept increasingly low reimbursements for out-of-network services. The litigation seeks to end this illegal conduct as well as recoup financial damages for physician practices and healthcare providers who were harmed by this conduct.
What does this mean for VMS members?
- Plaintiff medical societies are asking the court to order the defendants to stop their scheme of fixing the amount they are paying physicians for out-of-network services but are not entitled to financial damages.
- VMS joining the lawsuit does not make our members individual plaintiffs.
How can individual physicians learn more?
- Individual physicians, practices and facilities may be entitled to significant financial damages against MultiPlan and other insurance companies.
- Read the case description.
- You can reach out to the three lawyers who have been appointed as co-lead counsel in the litigation for non-class plaintiffs: Matthew M. Lavin of Arnall Golden Gregory; Hunter J. Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik Attorneys at Law; and Jennifer Scullion of Seeger Weiss LLP. You can start a free case evaluation here. Attorneys will represent you for a contingent fee, meaning the lawyers do not get paid unless you win your case.
- You may not know if your claims have been priced by MultiPlan and even if you do know, it is unlikely you will know to what extent. Your attorneys will get a complete claims report priced by MultiPlan related to your practice; you will not have to come up with a complete list on your own. You just have to determine that your practice has been exposed to MultiPlan pricing.
- You can watch a recorded webinar hosted by Matt Lavin of Arnall Golden Gregory. Passcode: NwyPS?1?
Contact Jessa Barnard at jbarnard@vtmd.org regarding VMS’ participation in the case. |
|
|
New Clinician Well-Being Workshops for 2026
VMS is pleased to continue our partnership with Doug Wysockey-Johnson of WyJo Consulting to offer no-cost clinician wellbeing workshops over 2026.
These workshops are designed to support clinicians in meeting the demands of modern health care. Workshops are built around Doug’s daily experience working with physicians, nurses, APPs and clinical leaders across the country. These meetings are designed to be efficient, effective and interactive, with topics that directly address the biggest challenges clinicians face daily. The workshops can be adjusted to fit a variety of formats and lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, tailored to your practice’s or medical staff’s needs.
New Topic for 2026: Dealing with the Reverberations of Adverse Events, Medical Error and Bad Outcomes
Description: According to the AMA, 31% of physicians will be sued at some point in their career. (In certain specialties that percentage is much higher). Over 50% will make a medical error with a bad outcome, and 100% will be involved in some kind of patient safety issue or ‘near miss.’ These experiences often lead to emotional distress, sometimes described as the “second victim” phenomenon. Feelings of guilt, shame, loss of confidence are common when this occurs. Without requiring personal disclosure, this workshop will provide general ideas on how to cope and heal from these types of adverse events.
For more information and all 2026 topics, click here or contact Jessa at jbarnard@vtmd.org or Doug at dougwyjo@gmail.com. |
|
|
Register for First All-VMS Member Legislative Breakfast January 21st!
The first breakfast for all VMS members to meet lawmakers at the Statehouse in Montpelier is coming up on Wednesday, January 21st from 8-9am. Please join us! No legislative or advocacy experience is needed.
These breakfasts, which will be held in the cafeteria at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, are an informal opportunity to educate lawmakers on ways to improve Vermont's practice environment. See a preview of topics VMS will focus on this session here. Register here today or reach out to Jill Sudhoff-Guerin at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org if you have any questions. |
|
|
RRMC Withdraws Request for Reduction in Pediatric In-Patient Beds
As was covered widely in the media (see stories here and here), Rutland Regional Medical Center has withdrawn its request for the Green Mountain Care Board to review and approve RRMC’s plan to close in-patient pediatric beds. Instead, RRMC stated that it “intends to proceed with its pediatric redesign initiative by working directly within the AHS-led transformation process.” VMS will share more information regarding next steps as the Agency of Human Services develops a plan for engagement. |
MISC.
|
Executive Order on State AI Laws
Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order directly aimed at state laws regulating AI. The Executive Order (EO) seeks to preempt state AI laws in favor of a national policy framework. Among other provisions, the EO includes language directing the Attorney General to create an AI Litigation Task Force aimed at challenging state AI laws that are inconsistent with the policy of the EO and would restrict state funding, including BEAD funding for those states that are determined to have onerous state laws. The AMA is reviewing the EO and will share more insights soon. A few key points to note – only Congress has the power to preempt state laws and states are afforded the authority to regulate many areas in health care through the Constitution and/or expressly by other federal laws. |
|
|
A Holiday Giveback from VMS Partner Resolve
Resolve contract review service, a partner of VMS, is hosting a Holiday Giveback to celebrate and support physicians during the season. Resolve will be sharing helpful career resources along with gift card and contract review giveaways for physicians.
This holiday series includes:
- Gift card and contract review giveaways
- Practical contract and negotiation resources
- Tools designed to support physicians in making confident career decisions
We encourage interested members to learn more and participate directly through Resolve:
|
EVENTS
|
|
|
2026 Hospital Medicine Conference
February 4-6, 2026 Topnotch Resort, Stowe, VT
This conference will focus on key clinical advancements and guidelines to ensure optimal patient care. The target audience is comprised of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and nurses practicing in hospital medicine. We also encourage hospital medicine program administrators, resident physicians, and medical students with an interest in careers in hospital medicine.
Please visit the conference website the agenda and registration link here. |
|
|
AlpTerra Wilderness Medicine Course
March 5–9, March 12–16, October 1–5, October 8–12, 2026
Franconia, New Hampshire
Join Alpterra for an immersive, hands-on wilderness medicine course designed to prepare you for real-life scenarios in the outdoors. Treat mock injuries, problem-solve in the elements, and walk away with practical skills that stick.
- Max 4:1 participant-to-instructor ratio for highly personalized, discussion-driven learning.
- Accredited for up to 16 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ — an excellent use of your CME allowance.
- Stay on-site in a luxury home-style setting. Enjoy locally sourced, family-style meals tailored to dietary needs.
- Add-on trips let you ski, climb, or explore the White Mountains with expert guides before or after your course.
Learn more about the agenda and registration here. |
|
|
For more information about offerings from UVM
CMIE, visit here. |
|
|
|
|
Vermont Medical Society PO Box 153 Williamstown, VT 05679 -- Unsubscribe -- |
|
|
|
