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 ... October 13, 2017 CMA, General, Managed Care, Medi-Cal ACA, Affordable Care Act, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Repeal, Covered California, Federal Legislation, Federal Legislative Advocacy, Medicaid, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
State suspends clinical lab license fees for two years Governor Brown signed a bill (AB 658) on Sept. 28 that suspends the state's clinical laboratory license renewal fees for two years, 2018 and 2019. The bill is a result of an audit that found that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) had collected millions more in laboratory fees than it had spent operating the Laboratory Field Services (LFS) branch. The fund’s current reserves exceed $22 million. Under existing state law, however, CDPH could not suspend or refund these fees. This bill only suspends renewal fees and will not apply ... October 13, 2017 General Accreditation, Clinical Laboratories, State Legislation, State Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
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 ... October 13, 2017 CMA, General Building Healthy Communities Summit, CME, Continuing Medical Education, Ethnic Diversity, Health Disparities, NEPO, Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA urges Gov. Brown to sign responsible beverage service bill Educating beverage servers in bars and restaurants is a key part of reducing drunk-driving fatalities. The California Legislature has passed a bill sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA) that would require California bartenders, servers and managers to receive responsible beverage service training based on a curriculum developed by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The bill—AB 1221 (Gonzalez Fletcher)—now heads to Governor Brown for his signature. Contact the governor’s office today and urge him to sign this important bill! The bill is the result of a tragic drunk-driving accident that ... October 13, 2017 General Medical Students, State Legislative Advocacy, Alcohol, State Legislation 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA guide helps physicians challenge AB 72 interim payments The California Medical Association (CMA) has published a new guide to help physicians challenge “interim payments” under the new AB 72 out-of-network billing and payment law. The guide is free and available exclusively to members in CMA’s AB 72 resource center at www.cmanet.org/ab-72. On July 1, 2017, the new law (AB 72) took effect changing the billing practices of non-participating physicians providing covered, non-emergent care at in-network facilities including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and laboratories. The law requires plans and insurers to reimburse physicians at the greater of either the payor’s ... October 13, 2017 General, Managed Care AB 72, Economic Advocacy, Out of Network Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ Medical Staff Conference early bird registration deadline is Sept. 30 Register today for the 2017 Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) Medical Staff Conference and save. This event—held October 26 at the Embassy Suites SFO (Gateway) Hotel in South San Francisco—will deliver the information, solutions and best practices that physicians need to successfully lead their medical staffs. Join us for a day of learning, problem solving, fact finding and dialogue about ways to enhance the medical staff's effectiveness in meeting goals and improving quality of care and patient safety. This one-day course will address the critical challenges facing medical staff and ... September 27, 2017 General Hospital Medical Staff, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Medical Staff 0 0 Comment Read More »
CPPPH offers regional workshops on physician well-being California Public Protection and Physician Health. Inc. (CPPPH) is hosting two fall workshops for hospital medical staffs and groups interested in physician health and well-being. The workshops will be held in Oakland on Saturday, October 7, and in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 4. The workshop, "Effective Functioning of Wellbeing Committees," is intended for hospital medical staff, medical groups, specialty societies, and others involved or interested in improving the health and well-being of physicians. Workshop topics include: How to handle the first meeting with a physician when ... September 27, 2017 General CME, Continuing Medical Education, CPPPH, Physician Well-Being, Physician Wellness, Seminars 0 0 Comment Read More »
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 ... September 27, 2017 CMA, General Affordable Care Act, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Repeal, CMA Policy, Health Care Reform, House of Delegates, Mental Health, Physician Workforce, Single Payor 0 0 Comment Read More »
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 ... September 27, 2017 CMA, Medi-Cal Affordable Care Act, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Repeal, Federal Legislation, Federal Legislative Advocacy, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. ... September 27, 2017 CMA, General TRMC, Medical Staff Bylaws, Tulare Regional Medical Center 0 0 Comment Read More »
