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CMA, AMA and organized medicine were united in opposing Graham-Cassidy

Last week, the latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) collapsed, after three Republican Senators announced their opposition—Susan Collins (R-ME), Rand Paul (R-KY) and John McCain R-AZ). Further action is unlikely this year, as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the Senate would now turn its focus to overhauling the tax code. However, several Republicans vowed to continue to work into next year to repeal the ACA. The California Medical Association (CMA), the American Medical Association (AMA) and all of organized medicine were united in opposing this ...

Earn 10.5 CME at the Building Healthy Communities Summit, Oct. 19-20 in Anaheim

There’s still time to register for the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) Building Healthy Communities Summit, taking place immediately before the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates on October 19-20, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. This year’s conference theme – “Striving for Health Equity in the Era of Change" – will focus on emerging health policy issues and solutions as we strive to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities. For just $299, participants can earn up to 10.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Medical students receive ...

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 ...

California's physicians oppose Graham-Cassidy repeal bill

The U.S. Senate is currently considering the Graham-Cassidy block grant bill, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) insurance mandate, underfund health insurance subsidies and make drastic cuts to the Medicaid program. Under the bill, traditional Medicaid funding would be capped. Medicaid expansion and ACA subsidies for low- and middle-income families would be subject to an underfunded block grant and phased out in 2027. This bill would be disproportionately harmful to states like California, which embraced Medicaid expansion and increased coverage under the ACA.  In response, the California Medical ...

Lawsuit fights "existential threat" to medical staff independence

By Andis Robeznieks, AMA Senior Staff Writer (Reprinted with permission from AMA Wire®.) While “L.A. Law” and other TV courtroom dramas often focused on the rich and glamorous, a lawsuit originating in a rural dairy community in California’s Central Valley has captured the attention of the state’s legal and medical professionals and—given the state’s outsized influence—the case’s impact could be felt far and wide. “Every once in a while, you get a really important case that’s a flashpoint,” said Long Do, California Medical Association (CMA) legal counsel and director of litigation. ...

CMA urges CMS to further reduce MACRA administrative burdens

The California Medical Association (CMA) recently submitted comments on proposed 2018 changes to the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP), established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Though not perfect, CMA is pleased that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has listened to physician feedback and has made changes that will significantly reduce the administrative burdens on physicians, particularly for small and rural practices. We appreciate the agency’s responsiveness to many of our concerns about the ability of physicians to successfully participate in the ...

CMA Foundation produces materials to encourage diversity in clinical trials

Clinical trials provide an opportunity for patients with rare diseases to receive the very latest in health care. People of different ethnic backgrounds often respond differently to the same treatments and medications. Unfortunately, ethnically diverse patients often miss out on the opportunity to participate in clinical trials because they lack access to referrals or feel uncertain about what participation entails. To improve this disparity, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation and the Network of Physician Organizations (NEPO) are working to increase minority participation in clinical studies. The “Encouraging Diversity in ...

Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations Announces 2017 Building Healthy Communities Summit

The Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO), representing over 45 ethnic physician organizations, in conjunction with the California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation, today announced the 2017 Building Healthy Communities Summit will be held October 19-20 in Anaheim, California. The two-day summit is an innovative educational event for physicians, public health professionals, advocates and community leaders that offers policy and best practices for reducing health disparities, building diversity in the workforce and increasing cultural competency in clinical care.  “Building healthier communities is a key component of what community physicians ...

We want YOU to be a CMA Social Media Ambassador

Are you active on social media? Then we want YOU to be a Social Media Ambassador for the California Medical Association (CMA). CMA Social Media Ambassadors are influential physicians, residents or medical students who keep their colleagues and other medical professionals informed, connected and engaged. Why social media? A majority of Americans get their news via social media. Social media gives us unfiltered access to target audiences. Social media is a powerful communications tool to connect with your colleagues, policymakers, the media ...

Tickets now available for 21st Annual President's Reception and Awards Gala

The California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation invite you to the 21st annual President’s Reception and Awards Gala on the evening of Saturday, October 21, 2017, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The black tie event will immediately follow CMA’s annual House of Delegates session that day.  Individual tickets and tables of 10 are now available for purchase. Tickets are $200 per person and tables are $2,500. Table sponsorships also include VIP seating and program recognition. Space is limited and this special event is expected to sell out, ...