Chip Hummer, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and partner at Premier Orthopaedics based in Media, Pa. He is also the chief medical officer for the Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer team.
His medical practice focuses on joint replacement and sports medicine, but he has also been active in advocacy efforts at the state and federal level. Here, Dr. Hummer discusses his experience working with lawmakers and best advice for advocacy in the future.
Question: Describe your experience in state and federal advocacy — how did you get involved and what has changed throughout your career?
Dr. Chip Hummer: I became involved in advocacy during my first year in practice in 1995; initially I was a "young physician" representative to both the American Medical Association and my local/state medical societies. The hot issues at that time were medical liability reform and the proliferation of managed care organizations, which were perceived by both patients and physicians to have a predominant profit motive. As I have progressed in my career, I have become more involved as a leader in both my state orthopedic society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Focus on advocacy on behalf of orthopedic patients and orthopedic surgeons have been successful and rewarding. Career-long involvement has allowed me to develop strong relationships with state and federal elected officials and their staffs. Interestingly, the issues of concern that I previously mentioned have not changed in a major way.
Q: What do you see as the most important issues for advocacy today? How receptive are lawmakers and their representatives?
CH: The simple fact is that the United States spends more per capita [on healthcare] than any other industrialized nation, and many question the efficacy of this spending in terms of outcome. As other orthopedic surgeons whom you have interviewed have mentioned, the current emphasis on alternative payment models for Medicare and other insurers is an attempt to incentivize quality over quantity of care. Orthopedics is uniquely positioned to influence the specifics of these alternative payment models: the care we provide is expensive, but the patient-reported benefits of this care are among the most significant in the entire healthcare system.
Orthopedics is also blessed with proactive state and national professional organizations that make advocacy, both political advocacy and policy advocacy, a top priority. This prioritization has made these organizations the most influential in terms of both political relationships and advocacy-directed financial resources.
Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunities to make an impact with your advocacy work in 2019 and beyond?
CH: The biggest opportunities lie in influencing the debate about the most appropriate alternative payment models, and in influencing the definition of healthcare quality. Another major opportunity lies in modification of existing law to allow for better coordination of care at all levels of the healthcare system.
Two examples of necessary modification are:
1. Modification of the Stark Law to allow collaboration by various elements of the healthcare system (for example, nonprofit hospitals and independent physicians).
2. Elimination of various state and federal restrictions on physician ownership, operation and expansion of healthcare facilities —data from various independent organizations both in and out of government have shown that these facilities often deliver the most cost-effective and high-quality care.
Q: What advice do you have for orthopedic surgeons who want to become more involved with advocacy work?
CH: My most significant advice for physician colleagues is as follows: most physicians (and most Americans) believe that involvement in the political process is distasteful. The current state of affairs in Washington, D.C., which we all see in the news every day, reinforces this perception. My late father, who was also an orthopedic surgeon, convinced me that political advocacy on behalf of patients and their true best interest is an extremely important way for physicians to provide "care." We are the only people in the healthcare system who take an oath to put the patient's best interest above all else. We have a responsibility to make our opinions well known to policymakers, and to ensure that those elected to office make quality and cost-effective healthcare of their constituents a major priority.
The best ways to advocate are as follows:
1. Establish relationships with candidates in whom you believe early in their political career. Early involvement is the best involvement.
2. When meeting with a candidate for office or an elected official, deliver a very concise message focused on one or at most two specific issues.
3. In today's system, political financial contribution is important to allow elected officials to deliver their message to the broad electorate; personal giving is fine, but raising necessary campaign funds by having an event in a physician's home sets that physician apart, and often allows their voice to be heard most loudly.