CMA calls on CMS to reverse step therapy decision The California Medical Association (CMA) and an American Medical Association (AMA)-led coalition of 94 medical societies delivered a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about the serious concerns physicians have with the agency’s recent decision to allow Medicare Advantage plans to use step therapy for Part B drugs. The letter calls on CMS to reinstate its 2012 policy prohibiting Medicare Advantage plans from utilizing step therapy protocols for Part B physician administered medications. The growing burdens generated by step therapy and prior authorization programs create a ... September 14, 2018 Medi-Cal, Medicare Advocacy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA and AMA oppose CMS proposal to collapse E/M codes More than 150 health care organizations, including the California Medical Association (CMA) and the American Medical Association (AMA), sent a joint letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), opposing the agency’s proposal to collapse evaluation and management (E/M) code and payment levels. The proposal was included in the draft 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and MACRA Quality Payment Program rule released earlier this summer. CMA and AMA appreciate CMS’s genuine desire to reduce documentation burdens on physicians to allow them to focus on patients over paperwork. Several ... September 12, 2018 General, Medicare Advocacy, Payor Issues and Reimbursement, Public Payors 0 0 Comment Read More »
Have you updated your My CMA profile yet? The California Medical Association’s (CMA) new website is loaded with a suite of digital tools that will help you get the most from your membership. One exciting new feature is the My CMA dashboard. If you haven’t already, please login, update your profile, and chose your preferences and areas of interest. By doing so, we will be able to deliver custom content and personalized alerts to your My CMA dashboard based on your user preferences. On your My CMA dashboard, you will also be able to find all of your ... August 21, 2018 CMA Advocacy, California Medical Association, CMA 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA advocacy expected to reduce administrative burdens for Parkinson's registry Effective July 1, 2018, licensed independent practitioners, including M.D.'s, D.O.'s, P.A.'s and N.P.'s who diagnose or treat Parkinson’s disease patients, are required to report cases of Parkinson’s disease to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) after first registering with CDPH through the designated gateway at https://hie.cdph.ca.gov. The data collected will measure the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s throughout California, providing more understanding to improve the lives of patients. The California Medical Association (CMA) and other stakeholders have worked closely with CDPH to reduce the administrative burden these reporting requirements ... August 7, 2018 CMA Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA/AMA responding to proposed Medicare payment rule On July 12, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and MACRA Quality Payment Program (QPP) rule. This is the first year that CMS is combining the Medicare fee schedule and QPP rules. There are a number of positive elements in the proposed rule. These include: New payments for physician services that are not part of a face to face office visit (virtual check-ins, remote consults of patient videos and photographs, and online consultations with other physicians) ... August 7, 2018 CMA, Medicare Advocacy, MACRA, Public Payors 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA joins California Department of Insurance in opposing CVS/Aetna Merger Today, the California Medical Association (CMA) applauded the finding of the California Department of Insurance that the proposed merger between CVS Health and Aetna, Inc. would significantly reduce competition in California’s health insurance market and calls on the U.S. Department of Justice to block the merger from proceeding. In a letter submitted to the U.S. Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones concluded that the proposed merger would create anti-competitive conditions in the Medicare Part D market, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager services market ... August 2, 2018 General, Managed Care Advocacy, Commercial Payors, Payor Issues and Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
Medical staff prevails in legal battle over medical staff self-governance A settlement has officially been reached in the case of the Tulare hospital embroiled in a bitter legal battle over the self-governance rights of its medical staff. The case stems from actions taken in 2016, when hospital administrators at Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) terminated the entire medical staff and its duly elected officers. The hospital then adopted new medical staff bylaws in secret and without input from physicians at the hospital. The hospital dictated leadership and standards of medical care, seized control of the disciplinary process without legal or ... July 24, 2018 CMA, General Advocacy, Medical Staff Self Governance 0 0 Comment Read More »
New Anthem anesthesia policy can have blinding consequences A policy change made by health insurer Anthem, Inc. could result in increased risk for many patients – up to and including blindness – if not immediately rescinded, according to physicians’ groups. The California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (CAEPS) and the California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA) have sent letters to Anthem Inc. requesting that they immediately rescind a new policy that deems Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) “not medically necessary” during “routine” cataract surgery – a move seen as endangering patients. These were followed up with complaints to the ... February 5, 2018 General, Managed Care Advocacy, Anesthesiology, Anthem Blue Cross, California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, California Society of Anesthesiologists, Ophthalmology 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA joins coalition to oppose Senate health care bill The California Medical Association (CMA) and a coalition of 9 other state medical associations have joined together to oppose the Republican Senate health care reform bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). CMA and the other associations are concerned that the Medicaid funding cap and inflation index would not keep pace with rising costs beyond physicians’ control. The California Department of Health Care Services estimates that the Senate bill would cut California’s Medi-Cal program by $114 billion. "The proposal places an untenable burden on state budgets and an ... July 24, 2017 Medi-Cal Advocacy, Health Care Reform, Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), Federal Legislation, Medicaid, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
President's Message May 2017 MAY 2017 Political Advocacy…Your Practice and Future Depend on It Do you wish to continue to practice medicine and preserve quality patient care? If so, then I urge you to keep reading…. One of the most vital functions that we, as a local medical society, carry out for our SBCMS membership of 3,000 is that of political advocacy. This continual, behind the scenes communication to and with our elected officials and government representatives goes to the very “heart” of our pledge and responsibility to society to save lives and ensure that the ... May 25, 2017 General, President's Message Advocacy, Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
