Terms & Requirements of Membership

Alaska Physicians & Surgeons, Inc. (“APS”) is a non-profit corporation composed of Alaska providers (“Members”), organized for the purpose of the furtherance of quality patient care, conformance with state and federal law and to negotiate health care contracts for its Members’ benefit and to provide an administrative and management structure for its Members. In order for APS to successfully attract managed health care contracts and maintain its reputation as an organization comprised of health care professionals committed to providing the highest quality of care, a potential Member must undergo a determination of whether he or she has the appropriate competence, training, character, and other such qualifications as the Board may determine are necessary for Membership. In order to become a Member of APS, an applicant must meet and maintain the following criteria:

1. A Member must maintain unrestricted, a professional license from the State of Alaska.

2. A Member must be a medical staff member, in good standing, at a hospital licensed by the State of A1aska.

A Member must carry medical malpractice coverage in such amounts as may be set from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Member’s insurer must supply APS with a certificate of insurance which shall state that such insurance coverage shall not be terminated or reduced without ten (10) days’ prior written notice to APS. As a minimum, each Member shall have professional liability coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate.

4. A Member must abide by all aspects of the Participating Provider Agreement, the Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations of APS as they may be amended from time to time; cooperate with APS and its Members in the implementation of the corporation’s policies and objectives, pay assessments when due; and adhere to the professional ethics of the State Board of Medicine.

5. A Member shall not make any misrepresentation to patients concerning the policy of APS or plan(s) contracting with APS, or any misrepresentation regarding the provision of health care services.

6. All applicants for Membership shall deliver to APS adequate information for a proper evaluation of competence, training, character, and other qualifications as required in the Member Appraisal and Reappraisal Process. Material misrepresentations or omissions in an application shall be grounds for denial or revocation of Membership. An applicant may be required to meet with the Board of Directors or its designee. In addition, an applicant must be approved by the Board in order to become a Member.

7. To the extent a Member participates in any managed care contract APS administers, the Member will be obligated to comply with terms of such contract(s) and accept a reasonable number of patient-enrollees for which the Member will be compensated for services provided at the rates set forth in the appropriate contract.

8. Members shall not discuss with other Members the fee structure, financial terms, or service pricing of any agreements Members enter into or consider entering into, including whether or not a specific Member has accepted or rejected a specific agreement.

9. A Member must comply with the quality guidelines and utilization standards required by participating plans and/or established by APS, and participate in, accept the results of and comply with the requirements of the utilization review committees as required by the Participating Provider Agreement, the Bylaws, and the Rules and Regulations of APS. Failure to do so may result in a termination of Membership.

10. A Member must pay Membership assessments levied from time to time by the Board, when due.
 

The information supplied in this application will aid APS in determining whether you are qualified for Membership in APS, APS may contact third persons and inspect certain documents and records to verify your professional competence and good moral and ethical character, as well as the accuracy of the information contained in the application. You should understand that Membership in APS is not absolute. Membership may be terminated by APS for reasons set forth in the Bylaws of APS. You are encouraged to read both the Bylaws and Rules and Regulations of APS (which are available for inspection at APS’s office) to become familiar with the rights and responsibilities of a Member before accepting Membership, should it be offered to VOW.