Additionally, the medical associations enforce compliance
with professional duties and form commissions that address
various issues, including a mediation commission, expert
commissions (for medical malpractice) and review boards
(to evaluate research proposals). These associations are also
statutory corporations under state law and all physicians
(not just the SHI physicians) must be members of a medical
association, even after retirement. Medical association
members elect representative assembly delegates, who, in
turn, elect a board of directors. At federal level, the medical
associations are merged in the German Medical Association
(Bundesärztekammer, BÄK). The federal association’s
primary tasks include a coordinating role for the state medical
associations, the organization of networking events and
structures, ensuring the uniformity of professional and
continuing training guidelines, representing the medical
profession in the public sphere and lobbying at policy level