CMA On-Call: Retention of Medical Records California regulations regarding retention of medical records in a physician’s office are a perennial hot topic in the California Medical Association (CMA) On-Call health law library. To ensure physicians understand their rights and obligations under the law, CMA published On-Call document #4005, “Retention of Medical Records,” which discusses major issues raised by the retention, abandonment, theft and destruction of medical or health insurance information and physician practice business records. Issues covered include statutory record retention requirements, the rules applicable to records abandoned in bankruptcy or otherwise, recommended retention periods, ... January 30, 2018 CMA, General CMA On-Call, CPLH, Medical Records 0 0 Comment Read More »
#CMAdocs: We want to tell your story! California’s doctors aren’t just health care and medical experts. They’re also community leaders, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and policymakers dedicated to ensuring that patients receive quality health care at an affordable cost. And CMA wants to share your story! Our #CMAdocs campaign highlights physicians leading the charge to help their communities thrive. We profile these stories on our website, in our bi-weekly newsletter, on social media and with local media. Share your story or celebrate a deserving colleague today! January 30, 2018 CMA CMAdocs, Future CMAdocs 0 0 Comment Read More »
Did you know CMA's online health law library is FREE to members? CMA On-Call, the California Medical Association's (CMA) online health law library, is fully updated for 2018. One of CMA's most valuable member benefits, On-Call contains nearly 5,000 pages of up-to-date legal information on a variety of subjects of everyday importance to practicing physicians. The searchable online library contains all the information available in the California Physician's Legal Handbook (CPLH), an annual publication from CMA's Center for Legal Affairs. CMA On-Call documents are available free to members at www.cmanet.org/cma-on-call. Nonmembers can purchase documents for $2 per page. The complete health law library ... January 30, 2018 CMA CMA On-Call, Health Law Library 0 0 Comment Read More »
Are you being paid correctly under California's new out-of-network billing and payment law? Effective July 1, 2017, California’s new out-of-network billing and payment law (AB 72) requires fully insured commercial plans and insurers to make “interim payments” to non-contracted physicians for covered, non-emergent services performed at in-network health facilities, and places limitations on the ability of physicians in such circumstances to collect their full billed charges. The interim rate is the greater of the payor’s average contracted rate or 125 percent of the amount that Medicare reimburses on a fee-for-service basis for the same or similar services in that geographic region. This law ... January 29, 2018 CMA, General Economic Advocacy, AB 72, Medical Provider Networks, Out of Network Care, Provider Networks 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA convenes physician wellness committee By advancing initiatives that enhance efficiency, professional satisfaction and the delivery of care, the California Medical Association is committed to helping physicians navigate and succeed in a continually evolving health care environment. As part of that commitment, CMA has made physician wellness and the prevention of professional burnout a core priority. Last year, the CMA House of Delegates named physician burnout one of the most pressing issues facing the practice of medicine – and took it up as one of the five “major issues” at the association’s annual meeting. In ... December 28, 2017 CMA House of Delegates, Physician Wellness 0 0 Comment Read More »
Theodore M. Mazer, M.D., inaugurated as California Medical Association's 150th president The California Medical Association (CMA) installed San Diego otolaryngologist Theodore M. Mazer, M.D., as its 150th president during the organization's annual House of Delegates meeting this weekend in Anaheim. Dr. Mazer has been a CMA and San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) member for 29 years. He has served on the CMA Board of Trustees since 2002, as Speaker of the House of Delegates from 2013 to 2016, and chaired various committees, including those focused on medical services and access to specialty care. Dr. Mazer is a past president of ... November 14, 2017 CMA House of Delegates, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
Gov. Brown signs CMA-sponsored responsible beverage service training bill On Sunday, October 15, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA) and introduced by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, requiring individuals who sell or serve alcoholic beverages to undergo responsible beverage service training. “The purpose of this law is simple: to help educate bartenders about how to serve alcohol responsibly and how to recognize when a customer’s had enough to drink,” Assemblywoman Gonzalez Fletcher said. “This law will mean fewer drunk drivers on the road, which will reduce the risk of future tragedies. It will ... November 14, 2017 CMA, General Medical Students, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy 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 ... November 14, 2017 CMA, General Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Residents and Fellows 0 0 Comment Read More »
Hospital at center of "existential threat" to medical staff self-governance files for bankruptcy The Tulare hospital embroiled in a bitter legal battle over the self-governance rights of its medical staff has filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. The filing came just two days before closing arguments were scheduled in the case, Tulare Regional Medical Center Medical Staff v. Tulare Regional Medical Center, et al. Although the hospital is in bankruptcy, the California Medical Association (CMA) will continue to seek a legal remedy in this matter. If the medical staff is unable to resolve the case out of court, the trial court could resume the ... October 19, 2017 CMA, General Amicus Briefs, Hospital Medical Staff, Legal Advocacy, Medical Staff, Medical Staff Self-Governance 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA publishes AB 72 payment monitoring workbook The California Medical Association has published a workbook to help practices identify if payments they receive comply with AB 72's interim payment rules. AB 72—California’s new out-of-network billing and payment law—requires fully insured commercial plans and insurers to make “interim payments” to non-contracted physicians for covered, non-emergent services performed at in-network health facilities, and places limitations on the ability of physicians in such circumstances to collect their full billed charges. The interim rate defined in AB 72 is the greater of the average contracted rate (including only commercial contracts) or 125 ... October 19, 2017 CMA AB 72, Billing/Coding/Out of Network Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
