Physicians warned of identity theft tax scam For a second year, the California Medical Association (CMA) has received reports from physicians that fraudulent federal income tax returns have been filed using physician names, addresses and social security numbers. In many cases the fraudulent tax return includes the name of an unknown person listed as the physician's spouse. Generally, this other name is a prior patient of the physician. Affected physicians are likely to learn of the scam by receiving a 5071C letter from the IRS alerting them of possible fraud. Physicians may also have received a rejection ... April 29, 2015 General CPLH, Identity Theft, Legal Advocacy, Tax, California Physician Legal Handbook 0 0 Comment Read More »
Leadership Academy opening session to feature Congressional leaders describing how SGR reform finally passed For nearly two decades, physicians have had to work with the threat of massive cuts to Medicare hanging over their head from the sustainable growth rate (SGR). Somehow, during the most virulent Congressional partisanship in our history, a solution was reached and overwhelmingly passed both houses in April. The Western Health Care Leadership Academy is pleased to confirm that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will be joining the Leadership Academy faculty, along with Charlotte Ivancic, Policy Advisor for the Office of Speaker John Boehner, and Wendell Primus, Senior Policy Advisory ... April 29, 2015 General Sustainable Growth Rate, Western Health Care Leadership Academy, Federal Legislation, SGR 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Capitol Insight: April 27, 2015 CMA Capitol Insight is a biweekly column by veteran journalist Anthony York, reporting on the inner workings of the state Legislature. What's new in the Capitol It’s been a wild, tumultuous couple of weeks for the fight to remove the personal belief exemption for school-required vaccinations. It began when Sen. Richard Pan, M.D., first presented his proposal to the Senate Education Committee, and ran into some unanticipated opposition. Democratic Sens. Carol Liu and Loni Hancock expressed reservations about the measure, as did Republican Sen. Bob Huff. At the urging of the committee ... April 29, 2015 General CMA Capitol Insight, Anthony York 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Medical Association responds to vote on Senate Bill 622 After today’s vote in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, California Medical Association President Luther F. Cobb, M.D., responded with the following statement regarding Senate Bill 622: "The amount of training to perform eye surgery stipulated by SB 622, even with the amendments adopted today, is still inadequate to ensure patient safety. Medical doctors perform hundreds more procedures and have tens of thousands more hours of training than what would be required of optometrists under this bill. All Californians deserve to have well-trained physicians to provide high-quality care, ... April 29, 2015 General Scope of Practice, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy, Optometrists 0 0 Comment Read More »
Second bill to increase Medi-Cal rates advances through first committee California’s policymakers are continuing to show support for legislation that would fully fund the state’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program. Two bills would restore a 10 percent reimbursement rate cut and raise those rates to Medicare levels, allowing better access to health care for patients. Assembly Bill 366 (Bonta, D-Oakland) and Senate Bill 243 (Hernandez, D-West Covina) are currently moving through the legislature. AB 366 took its first step through the legislative process when it advanced to the Assembly Appropriations Committee with unanimous approval on April 14. Last week, it was SB ... April 29, 2015 Medi-Cal Medi-Cal Cuts, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA files amicus brief in health care provider whistleblower case Last week, the California Medical Association (CMA) filed an amicus curiae brief in the California Supreme Court to urge a broad interpretation of the hospital whistleblower statute (Health and Safety Code section 1278.5). In Shaw v. Superior Court, defendant Los Angles Kindred Hospital terminated the plaintiff for complaining that the hospital was employing unlicensed and uncertified healthcare professionals. Following the termination, the plaintiff sued Kindred, arguing that health care providers who are categorized as whistleblowers are protected from retaliation by California Health & Safety Code section 1278.5. Last year, in Fahlen ... April 29, 2015 General Legal Advocacy, Amicus Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
San Francisco approves historic ordinance to ban tobacco use in county, city ballparks The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance against tobacco on Tuesday, prohibiting the use of all tobacco products at baseball venues within the county and city. The measure, which includes smokeless tobacco products in its ban, was passed with unanimous approval. It would affect both players and fans at ballparks and athletic fields — including AT&T Park — and take effect on January 1, 2016. However, it first needs final approval from the Board of Supervisors and a signature from Mayor Ed Lee. The final vote is ... April 23, 2015 General Public Health, Tobacco, Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
Study finds sharp rise in the use of e-cigarettes among young people A new study has found that 4.6 million young people — a quarter of all high school students and nearly 8 percent of middle school students —used tobacco in some form last year. According to the study, there was a decline in the numbers of high school students smoking cigarettes (from 16 percent to 9 percent), as well as a decline in the use of cigars and pipes. However, the study found that there was a substantial increase in the use of e-cigarettes (9.4 percent) and hookah pipes (13.4 ... April 23, 2015 General Public Health, Tobacco, Electronic Cigarettes 0 0 Comment Read More »
Polio survivors gather with Senator Dr. Richard Pan to reinforce the need for SB 277 before bill passed through Education Committee Standing one room away from an antique iron lung, a historic medical device once used to help polio patients breathe, survivors of the once widespread disease urged parents on Tuesday to get their children vaccinated in order to avoid suffering from completely preventable diseases. The polio survivors surrounded Senator Richard Pan, M.D., who authored Senate Bill 277, which would require most children enrolled in school to be immunized from highly infectious diseases. They joined together at the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society’s Museum of Medical History to speak on the ... April 23, 2015 General Public Health, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Institute for Medical Quality announces correctional medicine facility accreditations The California Medical Association’s (CMA) Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) has accredited 14 counties’ correctional medicine facilities through its Corrections and Detentions Program. The following counties are currently accredited with IMQ’s Corrections and Detentions Program: Marin County – 1 facility Nevada County – 1 facility Orange County – 3 facilities Placer County – 2 facilities San Diego County – 2 facilities San Mateo County – 1 facility Santa Barbara ... April 23, 2015 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Health Care Accreditation 0 0 Comment Read More »
