The Compliance Committee of the Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI) convened this week in Chicago to continue its ongoing efforts to improve the relationships and interactions between physicians and health plans, particularly now that the long-running managed care settlements have expired. The Committee identified multiple opportunities for continued advocacy by PAI including tiered networks, health plan investigations of physicians on the basis fraud and abuse, and the various legal challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

PAI was formed as a result of the managed care lawsuits that several medical associations filed against the nation’s biggest health plans. North Carolina Medical Society Executive Vice-President and CEO Bob Seligson serves as PAI’s President. PAI formed the Compliance Committee to monitor the health plans and to ensure that they were complied with the provisions of the Settlement Agreements.