Executive Notes
By Linda Stratton, Executive Director

Voluntary Member Assessment for Emergency and Trauma Services Ballot Measure

The California Medical Association is part of a coalition that is placing an initiative on the November 2004 ballot to keep emergency rooms open and protect trauma care. The proposition would raise $500-800 million annually, with a third of the money going to physicians. The CMA needs the help of every physician in California to be successful in their campaign.

The SBCMS Board recently approved a $95 special voluntary member assessment to help fund the ballot initiative. Invoices requesting a $95 contribution to the Physicians' Issues Committee (PIC) were mailed to SBCMS members in early October. The money will fund CMA's portion of the budget of the proposition sponsor, the Coalition to Preserve Emergency Care (CPEC).

The ballot initiative, called The 911 Emergency and Trauma Care Act, would increase the 911 telephone surcharge by 3 percent on calls made within California. One third of that money - at least $200 million - would go directly to pay On-Call and emergency physicians for care provided to uninsured patients. In FY 2000-01, those charges totaled more than $150 million. The surcharge would also fund 911 emergency dispatch, paramedics, hospitals and community clinics.

Physician contributions to the campaign would be returned many times over. CMA has pledged to contribute $900,000, their portion of CPEC's budget. CMA's partners will be paying a proportionate share. By investing in this initiative, physicians will bolster the emergency and trauma-care networks statewide, and create a stable funding source for the medical services provided by emergency and On-Call physicians.

CMA is a founding member of CPEC, which has worked on this proposal for 18 months. Other coalition members include the California Healthcare Association, the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the California Primary Care Association, California Professional Firefighters, the Emergency Nurses Association of California, and community clinics.

We encourage you to make a $95 CMA Physicians Issues Committee (PIC) contribution. This is an investment in your future.