- Why should you be elected to the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Corporation (NCMIC) board of directors?
- If elected, what are your goals for NCMIC over the next three years?
- What further changes do you envision concerning malpractice insurance, NCMIC, and how these relate to the chiropractic profession?
- If you are elected, what will history say about the term you served with NCMIC?
Answers:
- For the past three years, I have been actively and directly involved with an organized objective designed to change the direction of the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Corporation (NCMIC).
This nationwide effort began with a write-in ballot to elect new directors who would begin the process of change and make NCMIC more responsive to the policyholders. The previous governing structure of NCMIC was designed to insure "incestuous" re-election of the board membership with no possible input from the policyholders. Some of the effort of the previous three years has already resulted in a more democratic process of election. Most of this is now history, but the net effects of this effort will be felt by the policyholders for decades. The new directors elected to NCMIC have been considerably more responsive; however, there is still much to do in order to make NCMIC the best malpractice insurance company for chiropractors. If elected, I will attempt to provide the kind of leadership needed to accomplish that objective.
- My goals for NCMIC are very specific. I believe there is a serious flaw in the selection of defense firms to handle chiropractors when they are involved in a malpractice suit. I would like to institute a nationwide network of topnotch defense firms to defend doctors of chiropractic. Just because the firm is a top-quality or top-rated firm does not insure the fact that they know anything about chiropractic or the uniqueness of our practice. I would like to propose to NCMIC that we need to develop a small group of defense attorneys that we can use to educate, influence, and co-manage malpractice defense cases with the firms which are ultimately selected. Additionally, I would envision a workshop for defense firms, hosted by NCMIC, for those firms who are desirous of obtaining NCMIC's accounts. These workshops would help to insure the fact that the defense attorneys who attend would become more familiar with the issues and the uniqueness of chiropractic practice. This is one area that needs significant attention, and I would concentrate a great deal of my time on this area.
- NCMIC needs to do an analysis to determine if there can be flexible policies available. Other firms are currently offering less expensive claims-made policies which are oftentimes viewed by the field doctor as NCMIC charging too much, rather than offering the best policy available. The fact that NCMIC offers an occurrence policy has significant advantages; however, perhaps NCMIC could offer both types of policy in order to not only compete with other companies, but also to offer viable economic choices for the NCMIC policyholder. This, of course, would have to be studied and carefully considered before implementation.
Additionally, the aspect of "Binding Arbitration" is another item which should be considered by NCMIC in order to keep current with legal trends and "cost savings" relative to coverage. I would recommend a careful analysis of the various options on this issue and encourage NCMIC to be responsive to the issue.
Risk management is another area which is needed by the field practitioners. The risk management programs initially developed by the NCMIC's former president did not accomplish any of the objectives, yet they continued with no thought to the cost or effectiveness. The concept had merit; the implementation did not. NCMIC must continue to develop mechanisms which will provide the policyholder with information to help insure their protection and awareness of the risk factors. NCMIC can do this with proper planning and leadership.
4. I would hope that history will view my term with NCMIC as the period of innovation, the term of leadership, and the mandating of accountability by the directors of NCMIC to its policyholders. I am proud of the fact that I was instrumental in bringing the issues surrounding NCMIC to the policyholders, in order to provide them with enough information to make an informed judgement on what was happening with their company. It is apparent by the last two elections that the policyholders want a change, want new leadership, and want NCMIC to be responsive to the needs of the policyholders. I am committed to providing a responsive NCMIC, and, if elected, I will continue to strive for the kind of changes which will insure the future stability, economic solvency, and responsive leadership of NCMIC.
Louis Sportelli, D.C.
Answers:
1. I have thrived on service to chiropractic in an official capacity and have done so for over 35 years. Most of this time has been in the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), where I served as a delegate, and eventually served five years as chairman of the board. While serving on the board of the ACA it was my privilege to attend and become acquainted and familiar with the people and the structure of the NCMIC organization. I feel this experience gives me an advantage over others not so fortunate.
I have served all offices of the Texas Chiropractic Association, including the presidency. Additionally, I have served on the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners and numerous other non-chiropractic boards. My recent election as president of Texas Chiropractic College gives me a more expanded base of knowledge in management to help enhance NCMIC.
I hold staff privileges at two Houston hospitals, having admitted patients and performed manipulation under anesthesia. This is the new direction being taken by more and more doctors. I am aware of the added precautions needed by today's doctors as they enter this new area of service, and the necessity of coverage for these doctors.
Having always been a policyholder of NCMIC, I support the changes that allow a more open and democratic structure for the board and the policyholders. I have always been a strong champion of NCMIC as the best and most dependable malpractice carrier for the chiropractic profession. I am keenly aware that when the chips were down during the early 1980s, many companies would not write malpractice insurance, and those that did either drastically elevated their rates or went bankrupt. NCMIC has maintained a steady growth with topnotch service to the profession. I believe I am qualified to help the company maintain this continued growth pattern.
2. My goals would be to instill the kind of confidence in NCMIC that I have expressed above, to every chiropractor. Sympathizing with the increasingly higher costs of running an office, I want our policyholders to be confident they are getting the best possible protection at the lowest possible cost.
3. I envision more unity throughout the profession and feel the NCMIC can be a healthy influence in this direction.
I expect change in the legal climate. The pendulum must swing back to a less suit-oriented public. NCMIC can be a leader in this effort by contesting frivolous cases rather than simply paying regardless of guilt.
4. That remains to be seen. My ambition would be that my lifetime service of promoting chiropractic in all its entities was especially successful as a board member of NCMIC. In so saying, I thank the NCMIC policyholders for their support when making their decision to participate in this election.
Shelby Elliott, D.C.
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