Monday, September 11, 2017

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: first, the boards, MOC, and rapacious financial conduct


Under Unfinished business we wryly observe that MOC (Maintenance of Ceritification) remains viable and unwell. We now know without doubt that ABMS specialty board physicians and executives are profiting from MOC fees which, allegedly, are supposed to support the not-for-profit educational mission of our traditional (since 1922) specialty boards. In fact, reasonable argument can be made that the original not-for-profit motif of the boards has been converted into one of personal gain that belies the legal enablement of the boards under 501(c)3 rules and regulations. What is called for now is an investigation by the FTC (for possible restraint of trade) and by IRS (are the boards conducting themselves in conformity with the law governing 501(c)3 organizations)? 

Here's some grist from the mill, in this case, from the 990 Form filed by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in 2015:

The MD president was allocated $613,314 as "reportable income from the organization (W-2/1099-MISC)." In addition his "estimated amount of other compensation from the organization and related organizations" was $322,686.

Four ABPN Directors are listed as having received "reportable compensation" ranging from $175,947 to $246,012. In addition, the same four got additional "compensation from the organization and related organizations" ranging from $73,914 to $83,546.

Two managerial remunerations were reported as $111,661 (with an additional $50,351 listed as "other compensation") and $106,552 (with an additional $37,608 listed as "other compensation").

The VP of Research came in for $286,384 plus $99,668 for "other compensation"). 

Other remunerations were equally fat.

Here's the point: if a 501(c)3 organization has high enough expenses including salaries it is obvious that it can't make a profit if all of the money it takes in gets distributed to private hands inside the organization in the form of expenses. In this way, a not-for-profit organization can make more money for its officers, directors, trusteee, and others than can a true for-profit business.

Is this the way we want our ABMS boards to function?

References

"Specialty Boards Profiting from Physician MOC Fees," MEDSCAPE, 08/01/2017

"Medical Staff Votes Against Mandatory MOC," WORKCOMPCENTRAL, 01/22/2016

Form 990 (2015), Part VII, Section A. Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees, page 8.








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