ABOUT MEMBERSHIP


Publications

Medical Society members automatically receive subscriptions to the two state (MedChi Physician and Maryland Medicine)  and the MCMS publication, Rounds.  Each of these publications is considered essential reading not only to our members, but to their medical practice staff as well. All three publications are produced at the MCMS.

Directory of Member Physicians

The Montgomery County Medical Society Directory of Physicians is located on the web-site at www.montgomerymedicine.org. The directory is updated continuously, ensuring that new members are included as soon as their applications are processed. The directory is useful both to patients looking for new physicians and contact information for physicians. Physician information may be searched by a number of criteria including name, specialty, and location. Using their password, physicians will be able to update and make corrections to their information on line.

Maryland Medicine
Maryland Medicine, the Maryland Medical Society Journal is edited and produced by the MCMS. It is written by physicians for physicians. Offered quarterly, the journal provides in-depth coverage on topics of interest to medical practitioners, as well as a forum for physician opinions.

MedChi Physician
Maryland Medicine, the state medical newspaper is also edited and produced by the MCMS. Distributed four-five times per year, it offers important, timely information that specifically affects physicians practicing in Maryland.


Rounds
Rounds, the Montgomery County physician's newsletter is published five times per year and provides important, timely news on legislative, socioeconomic, and practice management issues.


MCMS Member News and Events

MCMS produces an email newsletter, MCMS Member News & Events, to keep members up-to-date and informed of important information that affects their practice as well as events offered to MCMS members.

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Physician Advocacy

Legislation
The Montgomery County Medical Society is the leader in physician advocacy for its members. Our proactive legislative agenda in Annapolis has led to the enactment of the broadest set of regulations imposed upon the insurance industry of any state in the nation. The MCMS is a founding member of the provider coalition of lobbyists, which has worked under the direction of MedChi's lobbyists, and has achieved an amazing set of victories that really matter to practicing physicians. Our lobbying activities have resulted in the passage of important and helpful legislation, including that which:

  • Sets up a formal grievance mechanism within the Maryland Insurance Administration for adverse coverage and payment decisions;
  • Mandates a law that carriers allow no less than six months from the date of service for the filing of claims;
  • Requires HMOs to begin paying capitation from the date a subscriber enrolls rather than from the date when a primary care physician is selected;
  • Restricts an insurance carrier from retroactively denying payment more than six months after the claim has been paid; and
  • Prohibits carriers from assigning their physician panels to property and casualty carriers so that they can reduce rates they pay physicians who treat accident patients.

Insurance Carrier Advocacy Program
One of the most valued member benefits of the MCMS is its advocacy program with the insurance industry, overseen by the third-party payer committee. The program's objective is to resolve the problems that practicing physicians are experiencing with the carriers and to ensure that our members are reimbursed for services they have provided. The Society has an ever-expanding list of successes, and the interventions have been just as effective with problems that affect an individual practitioner as with those that impact thousands of physicians area wide.

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Meetings & Events

General Membership Meetings
The Society holds General Membership Meetings during the year. These meetings give members an opportunity to share concerns and enjoy camaraderie with their colleagues. New members are formally accepted and introduced at these meetings.
In addition to the usual Society business, these meetings provide interesting and informative programs that address the issues that most impact our members' ability to practice medicine. Among these are legislative programs with our elected officials, forums to discuss third-party issues with policymakers, and presentations by leaders in the scientific and business communities. Call the Society at 301.921.4300 for member and guest fee information, or email them at info@montgomerymedicine.org.

The Main Event
The Main Event is the Society's largest trade show. Held in March from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., it features more than 50 vendors. Invitations are extended to physicians and their office staffs from the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is free for members and their staff, and there is a nominal fee for prospective members. The Main Event features a complimentary buffet and bar for attendees, along with door prizes, giveaways, and access to the newest and best products and services available for physicians, and their staffs. Over 500 physicians, staff and guests attend this event.

Practice Administrators' Committee
The Practice Administrators meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month with the exception of July, August, and December at 7:30 a.m. Meetings are held at hospitals around the county. The agenda is designed to address issues of practice management and to help ease the workload of administrators.

Educational Programs
MCMS offers monthly educational programs. Each program is 2-3 hours in length and is offered twice during the month – once during the day and once in the evening – for the convenience of those interested in attending. Member and Nonmember Physicians, physicians-in-training, medical students, medical office personnel, and physicians’ spouses will benefit from the information presented. Participants may choose to register for one or all of the seminars. Discounted fees are charged for members and their staff. There will be no charge if a medical student or resident wants to attend. Nonmembers may pay the member price if they bring a completed application to the educational program. These programs, which will be for new and/or established physicians, will fall into the broad category of the helping physicians practice successfully in Montgomery County, MD.

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Member Services

Employment Service
The Society sponsors a free employment service for the benefit of its members. Physicians have instant access to resumes submitted to MCMS by applicants looking for employment as medical assistants, nurses, office managers and practice administrators, receptionists, secretaries, and billing personnel. You can now post positions on the MCMS Web-site www.montgomerymedicine.org  and view applicants resumes on line. As an additional service physicians who are looking for positions in Montgomery County can post their CV on line and members will be able to view them when looking for a physician to add to your practice. If you are unable to access the internet, we will be happy to provide this information by phone at 301.921.4300.

Patient Referral Services
The Montgomery County Medical Society has moved the Directory of Physicians to our web-site at www.montgomerymedicine.org . This site allows us to update daily, ensuring that new members are included as soon as their applications are processed. The web version will be available to the public so they can find a Montgomery County physician, searching by a number of criteria including name, specialty, and location. We will continue to provide referral services by phone for those people who do not have access to the internet.

Insurance Solutions
As a benefit to its members, Montgomery County Medical Society, in cooperation with MedChi, the State Medical Society offers discounts on home, auto, and health insurance, as well as long term care and disability. Other related, cost saving services are also available to members.

MCMS Mailing Label Service
This is a direct mail/marketing service that provides labels to MCMS members for their own mailing to other MCMS members. Lists can be broken down by specialty, zip codes, physicians' ages, etc., in order to provide a customized database. Members receive a 50 percent discount on the cost of labels.

Corporate Partnership Program
MCMS has established a corporate sponsorship program with several vendors. These vendors offer goods and services that benefit our members. Corporate partners often give discounts and specialized services to MCMS members. These sponsors are listed, along with their contact information and web links on our web site www.montgomerymedicine.org.

MCMS offers three types of partnerships. There are nine companies on the MCMS Advisory Board who advise MCMS on trends and issues which impact medical practices and MCMS member physicians and practice administrators. MCMS Corporate Sponsors also offer services to MCMS members that assist their practices.  MemberAdvantage Partners offer MCMS members significant discounts on provided services.

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Types of Membership

ACTIVE
An active member maintains a principle office within Montgomery County, or; maintains a residence within Montgomery County and the society in whose area he/she maintains his/her office, or; conducts a substantial portion of their practice in Montgomery County hospitals. They shall not be an active member of any other component society of the American Medical Association.

ASSOCIATE
An Associate member is a part-time physician or a physician who works for the government.

AFFILIATE
An Affiliate member is a physician whose principle office is in another county but has a secondary office in Montgomery County, or; who is an active member of another component society.

PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR
Practice administrators, billing managers and office managers are eligible to join as affiliate members. This membership category allows all of the benefits of membership and full participation in the Practice administrators committee at a reduced membership fee.

RESIDENT/FELLOW
Resident/Fellow members are on the resident staff of a hospital or holding a fellowship and are not in private practice.

FORTY YEAR MEMBER
Forty Year members are active members who have been with the medical society for forty years and are still actively practicing.

EMERITUS (RETIRED)
In order to be emeritus you must be fully retired from private practice, and have attained 70 points. The points are calculated using your date of birth and your length of membership with the medical society. Emeritus members must pay a fee to attend general membership meetings, but do not pay dues.

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