Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Legislature passed legislation (Assembly Bill 245), which was subsequently signed by Gov. Tony Evers, to eliminate the state’s personal property tax. Elimination of the personal property tax was a top legislative priority for the business community – including those in the health care sector – as the antiquated tax was an unnecessary financial and administrative burden for businesses across Wisconsin.
The personal property tax was initially implemented in the 1830’s, before Wisconsin was a state, to fund the territorial government. At the time, Wisconsin did not have an income or sales tax. Lawmakers have been chipping away at the personal property tax for decades, and the passage of AB 245 – a sweeping bipartisan bill that also provides an increase in state funding to local governments – finally completes the job in abolishing the tax.
Senator Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), who spearheaded efforts to eliminate the tax, said, “With this legislation signed into law, the personal property tax has been finally eliminated. I have been working towards this moment throughout my time in the legislature and it is such a relief knowing this tax will no longer burden our small business owners.”
Previously, when a business purchased an item (i.e., personal property), not only did they have to pay sales tax on it, but they also had to pay personal property taxes on the item for as long as they owned it. Under the new law, Wisconsin businesses will receive long-overdue tax relief.
As was reported in the May edition of the WAO Advocacy Newsletter, on May 24, the Wisconsin Senate Health Committee held a public hearing on two critical bills being lobbied on by the Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology (WAO): Senate Bill 145, the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) bill, and Senate Bill 143, the physician Truth-In-Advertising bill.
The APRN bill, which the WAO and other physician groups oppose in its current form, would implement extensive independent nursing powers for APRNs, including the authority to prescribe medications and the ability to practice independently without physician collaboration. The Truth-In-Advertising bill, which the WAO supports, would provide practical patent safety measures by restricting non-physicians from using certain words, terms, letters, or abbreviations that would characterize them as a physician.
Since the May public hearing, no official action – in either the Senate or Assembly – has been taken on the bills. However, negotiations continue behind the scenes between the physician community and nursing interest groups. The Wisconsin “House of Medicine” continues to believe there is a path to a compromise on the APRN bill with nursing stakeholders, but remains steadfast that any agreement must include the following provisions:
The WAO will continue to provide members with updates on the status of both bills as the legislative process unfolds.
The Wisconsin Legislature’s budget-writing committee – the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) – recently concluded its work on the 2023-25 state budget bill, essentially rewriting Gov. Tony Evers’ $104 billion two-year spending plan for the state. The committee has sent the budget to the full Legislature, which will take-up and ultimately pass (with no significant changes) the bill this week.
The budget bill includes numerous health care-related provisions that may be of interest to WAO members. Please find below the budget items approved by JFC related to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services:
Once approved by lawmakers, the budget will be sent to Evers for veto review and approval. The next edition of the WAO Advocacy Newsletter will provide a full recap of the budget bill.
Thank you to Roxana Godiwalla, MD and Steven Seto, MD for attending the AAO Mid-Year Forum and representing Wisconsin as Resident Ambassadors. We asked them both to provide a brief summary of their experience attending the event, see below:
Dr. Godiwalla: Excellent! Felt so humbled to have the opportunity to speak with government officials, and so proud of our Ophthalmologists across the country! Looking forward to being part of advocacy again!
Dr. Seto: Overall an excellent and important experience that brought light onto the legislative side of medicine and ophthalmology. I think this experience was not only worth attending but was important enough that I would suggest all residents be required to attend it at least once in their training. I would personally be interested in attending future MYFs from my experience this year, both as a resident and in my future practice.
Review a full overview of the Mid-Year Forum from AAO here.
Make plans to join your fellow Wisconsin physicians for the 2023 Wisconsin Doctor Day, which will be held on Thursday, June 15th at Monona Terrace in Madison, WI. Learn first-hand how you can make a difference in the legislative process! CLICK HERE to view the agenda or CLICK HERE to learn more and to register.
Doctor Day is an annual, multi-specialty event bringing together Physicians and Medical Students from nearly 20 different physician organizations. The event features networking, educational sessions, and legislative meetings.
Earlier this month, a group of state legislators introduced a youth tanning bed safety bill (AB 241 / SB 261) that aims to help parents better protect their teenagers from the long-term health risks associated with indoor tanning, including skin cancers and serious eye damage. The bill would require parental or guardian consent for teenagers to use tanning beds.
From skin cancer to immune system impairment and severe damage to the external and internal structures of the eye and eyelids, the health hazards from UV radiation overexposure are clear. UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen, and the risk of future skin cancer increases significantly when adolescents intentionally expose themselves to artificial sources of UV rays. In fact, according to a recent per reviewed study, indoor tanning can increase user risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 58% and basal cell carcinoma by 24%. In addition, using tanning beds before age 20 can increase the chances of developing melanoma by 47%, and the risk increases with extensive use.
The legislation, which is supported by the Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Dermatological Society, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Public Health Association, includes the following two main provisions:
On May 24, the Wisconsin Senate Health Committee held a public hearing on two critical bills being lobbied on by the Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology (WAO): Senate Bill 145, the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) bill, and Senate Bill 143, the physician Truth-In-Advertising bill.
Of course, the Wisconsin “House of Medicine” – through the Wisconsin Medical Society – had a strong presence at the public hearing and articulately voiced our opposition to the APRN bill in its current form. The bill would implement extensive independent nursing powers for APRNs, including the authority to prescribe medications and the ability to practice independently without physician collaboration.
During the testimony on AB 145, the physician community made it clear that there is a path to a compromise on the bill with nursing stakeholders, but any agreement must include the following provisions:
As expected, the nursing community came out in full force to testify in favor of the bill. Their messaging was also predictable, as they spoke about their training, ability to fill gaps in the health care workforce, and the capacity of advanced practice nurses to practice independently. They said Wisconsin needs to catch-up with the 27 states that allow advanced practice nurses to practice without physician collaboration.
Throughout the hearing, which became heated at times as lawmakers peppered the physician community with hard-hitting questions, the “House of Medicine” remained composed, stressing the important role nurses play in a physician-led health care environment, but also insisting on the need to include critical patient safety guardrails in the legislation.
Although the hearing on the Truth-In-Advertising bill (SB 143) was a bit shorter, it was not necessarily less contentious. Thie bill, which would provide practical patent safety measures by restricting non-physicians from using certain words, terms, letters, or abbreviations that would characterize them as a physician, is “supported” by Wisconsin Nurses Association as part of a broader compromise on the APRN bill. However, testimony in opposition to the bill was offered by nurse anesthetists, chiropractors, and optometrists.
According to their comments, they believe the bill restricts them from communicating their health care experience, expertise, and services to patients. In fact, a chiropractor testifying alongside a representative from the Wisconsin Optometric Association, said optometrist are primary care providers – who routinely perform surgeries – and the legislation would not recognize their training, experience, and role in the health care system.
On the flip side, despite skepticism by several lawmakers on the committee over the need for the bill, the physician coalition provided strong comments, expressing the importance of the proposal for patients, who are often confused about the qualifications of different health care professionals. The legislation will allow them to better understand when they are receiving care from a physician or from a non-physician provider.
CLICK HERE to review the written testimony the physician community – including the WMS, the WAO, and several other specialty physician groups – submitted to the committee.
Future editions of the WAO Advocacy Newsletter will provide members with on update on the status of both bills in the legislative process, as well as the results of ongoing negotiations with other stakeholders, lawmakers, and the Governor’s office.
Given the importance of quality eyesight, WAO partners with the American Academy of Ophthalmology on the EyeSmart campaign to share monthly eye health observances. Each month, we will focus our eye health awareness and education efforts on different topics.
Click here to read the May release.
Poster abstracts are now being accepted for the WAO Fall Symposium (September 29-30, 2023 at the Trade Hotel in Milwaukee, WI). Submissions will be accepted until July 31, 2023. You will be notified in early August via email if your poster is accepted. All research is eligible for consideration, including case reports. Wisconsin ophthalmology residents are most strongly encouraged to participate, but others are also welcome to submit abstracts. For questions regarding poster submission, please contact WAO@badgerbay.co.
Click here to read the April release.
Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology
563 Carter Court, Suite BKimberly, WI 54136Ph: 920-560-5645 • WAO@badgerbay.co
