The 76th annual General Assembly convened on July 21st in New Orleans, LA at the Roosevelt Hotel. This years meeting was offered to members in an in-person and virtual format. Vice Speaker Lisa Casey presided as LAFP members and guests discussed issues and elected officers for the upcoming year.

The meeting provided members with addresses from Larry Simon, MD, MBA, FACS, Managing Medical Director for Medical Policy and Medical Appeals for Blue Cross Blue Shield of LA and John Meigs, Jr., MD, FAAFP, AAFP Board Representative. Dr. Meigs brought us greetings and information from the national Academy and also shared the work of the AAFP over the past year.

During the meeting, after the annual reading of the necrology report honoring our members who have left us in the past year, recognized the past presidents in attendance, recognized members receiving anniversary awards and approved bylaws changes that were submitted. Six resolutions were submitted to the General Assembly and are as follows:

Resolution 1: Independent Practice
submitted Dr. Karl Hanson

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians Independent Physician Practice Group for the expressed purpose to assist physicians with their efforts to start an independent practice.

The resolution was amended and the following was adopted during the meeting:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians create a time limited taskforce charged by the LAFP Board of Directors to study the feasibility and initiate strategies for Independent Practice Advisory Group for the expressed purpose to assist physicians with their efforts to start an independent practice and/or enter and sustain a successful employed practice.

Resolution 2: Primary Care Output by State Medical Schools
submitted Dr. Karl Hanson

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians supports efforts and legislation that would incentivize the state medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport wherein funding of said schools is indexed by a yet to be determined formula based on the percentage of graduating medical seniors who chose a residency in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Med-Peds or Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The resolution was referred to the Board of Directors.

Resolution 3: Opposition to Participation in the Prior Authorization Process
submitted Dr. Karl Hanson

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians opposes any imposition of the prior authorization process which transfers that duty from the payor to the family medicine physician.

The resolution was adopted.

Resolution 4: Patient Transfer of Care
submitted Dr. Karl Hanson

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians endorses the practice and appropriate legislation which provides a mechanism for that continuity at the patient’s discretion; and further be it

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians recommends that in the case where a patient's physician is an employed physician, and said physician is no longer part of the physician employer, that physician employer SHALL provide, in writing, the following options to that physician’s patient:
• I, the patient, chose to follow my current physician who is no longer under your employ and request that all records be transferred to my current physician who is no longer under your employ for the sake of continuity and preference.
• I, the patient, wish to stay in the current physician employer’s system and have the right to select which physician I wish to assume my care.
• I, the patient, wish to stay in the current physician employer's system and will allow the employer to assign my care to any physician within the employer entity.
• I, the patient, no longer wish to be cared for by the physician employer and request a personal copy of my chart or access to the full chart within your system using the appropriate log ins.

The two resolves were separated and the first resolved was adopted. The second resolved was referred to the Legislative and Advocacy Committee.

Resolution 5: Vaccine Testing
submitted Dr. Karl Hanson

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians requests that the Louisiana Department of Health and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or any such appropriate institution conduct trials on vaccine versus placebo and unvaccinated versus full vaccinated children to assess safety, efficacy and the effect on chronic illness.

The resolution was not adopted.

Resolution 6: Dues Increase for Active, First Year New Physicians, Inactive, Supporting and Transitional Membership
submitted LAFP Board of Directors

The following resolution was submitted and presented to the members for consideration:

RESOLVED, that the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians (LAFP) Board of Directors urges the membership to approve for the annual dues for active members of the LAFP will increase $50 dollars beginning January 2024 resulting in the total annual dues for Active membership to be $370 dollars, First-year New Physician membership to be $185, Inactive membership to be $185, Supporting membership to be $370 and Transitional membership to be $185 be approved by the General Assembly at its July, 2023 meeting.

The resolution was adopted.

The 2023-2024 LAFP Board of Directors, LAFP Foundation Board and LaFamPac Board was elected. Reports were given by each of the committee chairs on the work that had been done over the past year. After completing our business by early afternoon, Dr. Casey called for an adjournment. We hope everyone enjoyed their time in New Orleans. We look forward to seeing you all next year in Destin. 

The success of the 2023 General Assembly is due in part to the support and generosity of our sponsors and exhibitors.