SoFi doubling rate discount for CMA members Earlier this year, the California Medical Association (CMA) and SoFi launched a new member benefit that will help physicians save thousands on their student loans. Sofi offers CMA members student loan refinancing options that include low-variable and fixed rates with terms ranging from five to 20 years. For a limited time, SoFi is offering CMA members a special double rate discount for a limited time. From now until December 20, 2018, you’ll pay 0.5 percent less in interest when you refinance at SoFi.com/CMA. Market interest rates are on the rise, check to see what you can save today at SoFi.com/CMA. Residents can refinance as well and pay as little as $100/month through the end of your residency. If you have questions about SoFi student loan refinancing, please visit SoFi.com/CMA or contact SoFi directly at ask@sofi.com or (855) 456-7634. Additional terms and conditions apply. Limited time offer, for applications started between 09/20/18 - 12/20/18 and is subject to lender approval. Offer good for new customers only. To receive the offer, you must: (1) register and/or apply through the referral link you were given; (2) complete a loan application with SoFi within 90 days of your application start date; (3) and meet SoFi’s underwriting criteria. Once conditions are met the interest rate shown in the Final Disclosure Statement will include an additional 0.25% rate discount because of your involvement with a SoFi partner company at the time of loan origination. Applications started and submitted after 12/20/18 will reflect the organization’s regular rate discount of 0.25%. Cannot be combined with other rate discounts, with the exception of the 0.25% AutoPay rate discount. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the Rate Discount Program to unenrolled participants at any time with or without notice. November 6, 2018 CMA Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Take action NOW to stop radical physician rate regulation bill Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) last week announced a radical proposal that would increase patient out-of-pocket costs and result in a dangerous government intrusion into the health care market by creating state-sanctioned rationing of health care for all Californians. Assembly Bill 3087 would establish an undemocratic, government-run commission with nine political appointees who would unilaterally set the price for all medical services that are not already controlled by the government, essentially eliminating commercial health care markets in California. None of the political appointees are required to be patient-focused or have any tangible experience in the delivery of health care to patients. AB 3087 will be heard in the Assembly Health Committee on April 24. Physicians are urged to visit actnow.io/PriceFixing to email their legislators and ask them to stop this dangerous bill. Sample messaging is provided. If you’re active on social media, please also click on the Twitter/Facebook icons to voice your opposition on these platforms. We are also encouraging ALL physicians to register their opposition to this bill with Assemblymember Kalra’s office via phone. To do so, visit actnow.io/PriceFixing, click on the phone icon and enter your information when prompted. You will immediately receive a call from (408) 752-5387 that will provide guidance on what to say and patch you directly to the author of this bill. More Ways to Take Action CMA is also asking physicians to answer a few questions about how AB 3087 will impact their practices. The survey results will help in our legislative efforts to fight this dangerous bill. And, if you are among California's physicians that will be forced into early retirement or out of state if AB 3087 passes, we want to tell your story. Drop us a line at communications@cmanet.org. “No state in America has ever attempted such an unproven policy of inflexible, government-managed price caps across every health care service,” said California Medical Association (CMA) President Theodore M. Mazer. “It threatens to reverse the historic gains for health coverage and access made in California since the passage of the Affordable Care Act.” Despite fundamentally altering how health care services are provided in California, the bill explicitly prohibits health care professionals from participating on the commission. This commission—constructed to view patient care simply as a cost center—would have the unprecedented authority to ration the timing and quality of care California patients receive by fixing the prices of the commercial health care market. This bill does nothing to ensure that patient out-of-pocket costs are decreased and moves California away from the goal of value-based care backwards to an antiquated fee-for-service model. It would also have the consequence of dramatically reducing consumer choices. “AB 3087 is a poorly conceived, monumental threat to patient access to health care that goes against the Assembly’s own expert recommendations,” said Dr. Mazer. “This dangerously flawed legislation would result in government-sanctioned rationing of care and higher out-of-pocket costs for patients.” The bill would also put additional cost pressure on the California health care delivery system by allowing lawyers and lobbyists to be reimbursed by the Commission for lobbying the Commission. This process mirrors existing intervenor fee models that have not reduced overall consumer cost—but have served as a means for special interests to, as one former State Insurance Commissioner alleged, get “fat off the public trough.” Brazenly, the bill also creates a direct funding mechanism that would financially benefit one of the bill's sponsors. AB 3087 also ignores the recommendations from the University of California, San Francisco’s report—commissioned by the Assembly—to achieve universal access to health care, which includes implementing a comprehensive strategy to overcome the physician workforce shortage in the state by removing barriers that prevent physicians and other clinicians from specializing in primary care and practicing in underserved areas. Currently, six of nine California regions are already facing a primary care provider shortage, and 23 of California’s 58 counties fall below the minimum required primary care physician-to-population ratio. The state needs 8,243 additional primary care physicians by 2030—a 32 percent increase. “AB 3087 would cause an exodus of practicing physicians, which would exacerbate our physician shortage and make California unattractive to new physician recruits,” said Dr. Mazer. “The legislature should reject AB 3087, and instead, focus on real solutions that further value-based care, ensure a patient can access a physician when they need one and tackle California’s physician shortage.” Historically, policies of inflexible and arbitrary price caps are viewed as ineffective in controlling costs and detrimental to access to health care. During federal health reform discussions, both the Obama and Clinton administrations considered price-cap proposals, but ultimately rejected them on the basis that they posed too many direct and indirect risks to the overall health care delivery system. Visit actnow.io/PriceFixing to take action today. April 24, 2018 General Grassroots Advocacy, Physician Workforce, Rate Regulation, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
State awards $30.5 million in primary care residency program funding The California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission awarded upwards of $30.5 million to support more than 175 primary care residency slots for the 2017 cycle of the Song Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program. A record number of applications were received this year, in large part due to the additional physician workforce funding secured by the California Medical Association (CMA) through the state budget. In 2016, the California legislature passed a budget that committed $100 million over three years ($33 million each year) in health care workforce funding. Although Governor Brown proposed to eliminate these funds in his 2017-2018 budget, CMA fought to maintain this important funding, which is critical as we work to address California’s primary care physician shortage. Song Brown funding is available for existing primary care residency slots, existing Teaching Health Center slots, expansion slots within existing programs, and new primary care programs that will obtain accreditation within a year of the contract period. A robust and well-trained primary care workforce is essential to meeting the health care demands of all Californians. Training more physicians to meet the growing demands of an aging population with multiple chronic conditions remains one of CMA’s top priorities. California is experiencing a severe shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in the rural and Central Valley regions of the state. Our state has one of the lowest primary care physician to patient ratios in the nation. Some estimates show that California will need an additional 8,243 primary care physicians by 2030 – a 32 percent increase. Data shows that most physicians set down roots in the areas where they train and remain there after their training to care for their communities. Inadequate funding for residency programs exacerbates access problems—every year, hundreds of graduating medical students don't find a residency slot in California to continue their training, forcing talented young doctors who want to stay and practice in California to other states and communities. Click here to view a complete list of 2017 Song Brown awardees. February 5, 2018 CMA, General GME, Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Primary Care, Residents and Fellows, Song Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program 0 0 Comment Read More »
Report: California Physicians Boost the State's Economy Physicians add opportunity, growth and prosperity to the California economy by creating 1.2 million jobs and generating $232 billion in economic activity, according to a new report, The Economic Impact of Physicians in California, released today by the California Medical Association (CMA) and the American Medical Association (AMA). “California’s physicians do more than diagnose, cure or heal – they go beyond patient care by providing millions of good paying jobs and generate billions in tax revenues and economic activity,” said CMA President Theodore M. Mazer, M.D. “Today’s report illustrates why tackling our state’s physician shortage and supporting graduate medical education are so critical. The data is clear: more physicians will help keep our state’s health and economy strong.” The study quantifies the economic boost that 89,933 active patient care physicians provide to the state’s economy, producing a ripple effect that is felt statewide. The study measures physicians’ impact using four key economic indicators: Jobs: Physicians support 1.2 million jobs in California – an average of 13.3 jobs for each physician. Economic activity: Physicians generate $232 billion in economic output, 9.3 percent of the state’s economy. Each physician generates an average of $2.6 million for the state economy. Wages and benefits: Physicians contribute $135.3 billion in total wages and benefits paid to workers, empowering a high-quality, sustainable workforce. Each physician contributes, on average, $1.5 million to workers’ wages and benefits. State and local tax revenue: Physicians’ contribution to the California economy generates $11.2 billion in state and local tax revenue for their communities – translating to $124,752 for each physician on average – enabling community investments. “The positive impact of physicians extends beyond safeguarding the health and welfare of their patients,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D., MHA. “The study illustrates that physicians are woven into their local communities and have a vital role in fueling state economies by creating jobs, purchasing goods and services, and supporting public services through the tax revenue they generate.” The report found that every $1 applied to physician services in California supports an additional $2.16 in other business activity. An additional 7.13 jobs, above and beyond the clinical and administrative personnel that work inside physicians’ practices, are supported for each $1 million of revenue generated by physicians. Across the country, physicians add $2.3 trillion to the U.S. economy, support more than 12.6 million jobs nationwide, contribute $1 trillion in total wages and benefits paid to U.S. workers, and generate $92.9 billion in state and local tax revenue. To view the full report and an interactive map, please visit www.PhysiciansEconomicImpact.org. # # # The California Medical Association represents the state’s physicians with more than 43,000 members in all modes of practice and specialties. CMA is dedicated to the health of all patients in California. For more information, please visit CMAnet.org, and follow CMA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. The American Medical Association is the premier national organization providing timely, essential resources to empower physicians, residents and medical students to succeed at every phase of their medical lives. Physicians have entrusted the AMA to advance the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health on behalf of patients for more than 170 years. For more information, visit ama-assn.org. January 30, 2018 General Employment of Physicians, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
State sees marked increase in applications for primary care residency program funding The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development received a record number of applications for family medicine and primary care residency funding through the Song Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program. For the 2017 application cycle, 77 applications were received, representing 103 residency slots. The increase is due in part to additional physician workforce funding secured by the California Medical Association (CMA) through the state budget. In 2016, the California legislature passed a budget that committed $100 million over three years ($33 million each year) in health care workforce funding. Although Governor Brown proposed to eliminate these funds in his 2017-2018 budget, CMA fought to maintain this important funding, which is critical as we work to address California’s primary care physician shortage. This funding is available for existing primary care residency slots, existing Teaching Health Center slots, expansion slots within existing programs, and new primary care programs that will obtain accreditation within a year of the contract period. The 77 applications received for primary care residency funding include: 48 family medicine residency programs (including 10 expansion slots and eight new programs) 14 internal medicine residency programs (including three expansion slots) 6 OB-GYN residency programs (including two new programs) 9 pediatric residency programs (including one expansion slot) A robust and well-trained primary care workforce is essential to meeting the health care demands of all Californians. Training more physicians to meet the growing demands of an aging population with multiple chronic conditions remains one of CMA’s top priorities. California is experiencing a severe shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in the rural and Central Valley regions of the state. Our state has one of the lowest primary care physician to patient ratios in the nation. Some estimates show that California will need an additional 8,243 primary care physicians by 2030 – a 32 percent increase. Data shows that most physicians set down roots in the areas where they train and remain there after their training to care for their communities. Inadequate funding for residency programs exacerbates access problems—every year, hundreds of graduating medical students don't find a residency slot in California to continue their training, forcing talented young doctors who want to stay and practice in California to other states and communities November 14, 2017 CMA, General Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Residents and Fellows 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA to tackle three major issues at annual meeting The 146th Annual Session of the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD) will tackle three major issues—health care reform (on both the federal and state level), physician workforce and mental health care—when it convenes October 21-22, 2017, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. CMA physician delegates meet annually to establish broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the association and the practice of medicine. Reports on these major issues are now available for comment. All members are welcome to submit comments online at www.cmanet.org/hod. Health Care Reform: While the future of federal health care reform remains unclear, CMA continues to work with federal and state lawmakers to ensure that the health care system works for physicians and patients. The CMA House of Delegates will discuss recommendations and regulations that will assist with health care reform at both the state and national levels. Physician Workforce: Maintaining a physician workforce that ensures all patients have sufficient and timely access to quality medical care continues to be a challenge for California. The delegates will discuss barriers that impact the practice medicine in California and will analyze various strategies and policies that will promote solutions to address the physician workforce problem. Mental Health: For decades, CMA policy has strongly supported adequate funding and provisions for high-quality mental health care. However, despite raised awareness, mental illness continues to go unrecognized and underfunded in California; many people with mental illnesses do not receive the help they need. The delegates will discuss significant factors affecting the mental health system including access and infrastructure, and will consider policies to support and improve the mental health system. September 27, 2017 CMA, General Affordable Care Act, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Repeal, CMA Policy, Health Care Reform, House of Delegates, Mental Health, Physician Workforce, Single Payor 0 0 Comment Read More »
California congressmen introduce bills to address physician shortage Two important bills have been introduced in Congress to address our state’s serious physician shortage and improve access to care in California. The first bill, the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2017 (HR 3394), would reauthorize for an additional three years the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (GME) program that was established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Teaching Health Center program is a community-based primary care physician training program that has been extremely successful in expanding the physician workforce in underserved areas. This bill would also expand the number of residency positions available within existing teaching health centers and establish sustainable funding. This bill has bipartisan cosponsorship by California Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-Palm Springs), Jeff Denham (R-Modesto) and David Valadao (R-Fresno). The second bill, the Comprehensive Additional Residency Expansion Act (HR 3451), introduced by Congressman Jeff Denham (R-Modesto) and sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA), would build on HR 3394. The Teaching Health Center GME program currently supports 742 residents at 59 teaching health centers. This bill would add an additional 240 residency slots to train new physicians and authorize 10 new teaching health centers. It would also require the new teaching health centers be located in areas with a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients to help alleviate physician shortages and access to care in underserved regions. These bills are critically important because California is experiencing a severe shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in the rural and Central Valley regions of the state. Our state has one of the lowest primary care physician to patient ratios in the nation. Only 10 percent of physicians practice in rural areas nationwide, although 25 percent of the population resides in these regions. Training more physicians to meet the growing demands of an aging population with multiple chronic conditions is a CMA priority. We support efforts to encourage more physicians to practice in underserved areas to improve access to care. The underserved Central Valley region of California in particular has experienced difficulty attracting and retaining physicians. Data shows that most physicians set down roots in the areas where they train and remain there after their training to care for their communities. These two bills will help to create a new generation of rural physicians and ensure that patients in those areas have access to essential preventive and primary care to diagnose and treat health problems early. These are important bills that represent a practical approach to improving the physician shortage crisis and access to care challenges in California’s underserved areas. August 9, 2017 General Federal Legislation, Federal Legislative Advocacy , Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Primary Care, Rural Health, Underserved Communities 0 0 Comment Read More »
California grapples with 'severe' doctor shortage, study shows California doesn't have enough doctors to handle its primary health care demands and the problem is getting worse. A new study by UCSF Healthforce Center finds that California doesn’t have enough primary care physicians in most regions of the state. According to the study, the shortage is becoming more acute because of an aging physician workforce, a growing patient population and expanded coverage through the Affordable Care Act. According to the study, only two regions of California (the Greater Bay Area and Sacramento) have ratios of primary care physicians per population above the minimum ratio recommended by the Council on Graduate Medical Education (60 primary care physicians per 100,000 people). The study also found that two regions (the Inland Empire and San Joaquin Valley) have ratios of primary care physicians to population that are below the minimum required by California law for managed care plans (50 primary care physicians per 100,000 people). Some estimates show that California will need an additional 8,243 primary care physicians by 2030 – a 32 percent increase. In an effort to increase California's primary care physician workforce, the state legislature passed a budget in 2016 that included historic support for and expansion of primary care graduate medical education (GME)—committing to invest $100 million over three years to support primary care residency programs in medically underserved areas. Unfortunately, Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2017 budget takes a huge step backward, eliminating $33.4 million of that health care workforce funding and redirecting $50 million in Prop. 56 funding that was intended to go to GME programs. The California Medical Association (CMA) believes these budget cuts are irresponsible and make a bad situation worse. A robust and well-trained primary care workforce is essential to meeting the health care demands of all Californians. Inadequate funding for residency programs exacerbates access problems—every year hundreds of graduating medical students don't find a residency slot in California to continue their training, forcing talented, young doctors who want to stay and practice in California to other states and communities. CMA will be working through the budget negotiation process to restore this critical funding. We are also urging physicians, residents and medical students to ask their legislators to oppose Governor Brown’s budget proposal to eliminate physician workforce funding. For more information on the budget as it relates to health care, including GME funding talking points, see CMA's budget summary. Click here to read the UCSF study. March 2, 2017 General California State Budget, Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Primary Care, State Legislative Advocacy, Underserved Communities 0 0 Comment Read More »
Subject matter experts needed for primary care residency grant program The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), is seeking subject matter experts to join application review panels for the Song Brown Primary Care Residency Program. The program, which provides grant funding for primary care residency programs, is looking for variety of health care professionals, including physicians, residents and students. The California Medical Association (CMA), as part of a coalition of healthcare stakeholders, was able to secure $100 million in the FY 2016-17 California State Budget to support and expand primary care residency training and programs in medically underserved areas through the Song-Brown Workforce Training Program and targeted investment in teaching health centers. The funding will be appropriated over six years to create a reliable and continuous funding stream that primary care residency programs in California so desperately need. Advocating for additional funding for this program was a CMA priority and now that the funding has been appropriated, it is critical that physicians remain engaged in the process for awarding the funding. Each review panel is comprised of up to five individuals and panelists may be asked to review up to 15 applications. Applications to serve as a reviewer are accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information, click here. Contact: Tyfany Frazier, (916) 326-3754 or tyfany.frazier@oshpd.ca.gov. September 12, 2016 General Primary Care, Residents and Fellows, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Song-Brown residency program grant cycle begins April 26 The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) will soon be accepting the next round of applications from California residency programs seeking grant funding for new or existing resident positions. The 2015-2016 California State Budget allocated $6 million to expand OSHPD's Song-Brown Program to create more residency slots in the state and to open the program to all primary care specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology and pediatrics). The next application cycle will open on April 26, 2016. All accredited residency programs interested in applying for primary care residency funding, should visit the Song-Brown website for additional information. Applications are due June 3, 2016, by 3 p.m. The Song-Brown program is also seeking subject matter experts to join an application review panel for the granting process. The program is looking for variety of health care professionals, including residents and students. Providers may be asked to review up to 15 applications. The deadline to apply for the application review panel is July 15, 2016. For more information, click here. Contact: Typhany Frazier, (916) 326-3754 or tyfany.frazier@oshpd.ca.gov. April 12, 2016 General Residents and Fellows, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
