Gala tickets still available! Join the California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation at the 19th Annual President’s Reception and Awards Gala, Saturday, October 17, 2015, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in Anaheim, immediately following CMA’s annual House of Delegates session that day. Honored at the event will be Steven Larson, M.D., incoming CMA president; David Folsom, M.D., recipient of the Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Leadership Achievement Award; and Michael Lenoir, M.D., recipient of the Adarsh S. Mahal, M.D., Access to Health Care and Disparities Award. Individual tickets and tables of ... September 23, 2015 General CMA Foundation, House of Delegates, Awards 0 0 Comment Read More »
L.A. close to banning smokeless tobacco use at all sports venues in city limits Following the footsteps of its Bay Area neighbors to the north, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously (14-0) to ban smokeless tobacco use from all sports venues within city limits. The rule will apply to players and fans alike. The city attorney was given 30 days to draft the new law, which could take effect as soon as January, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Our parks and stadiums are places for creating healthy choices for the next generation, not for cancer-causing addictions,” L.A. Councilmember David Ryu said in a ... September 23, 2015 General Save Lives California, Tobacco, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Last chance for IMQ grants for providers of opioid training To help address serious issues related to the misuse of prescription opioids, the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering mini-grants to organizations that wish to offer U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved opioid training for physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers. There are a few grants available, ranging between $1,400 and $3,300, based on the number of participants. The opioid crisis continues and drug overdose deaths remain the leading cause of injury death in the United States – even more than car crashes. In ... September 23, 2015 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Prescription Drugs, Drug Prescribing 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA now accepting online testimony for 2015 House of Delegates The California Medical Association’s (CMA) 2015 House of Delegates (HOD) will convene at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, October 16-18. The HOD meets annually to establish broad policy on current major issues and elect CMA officers, including president-elect, speaker and vice speaker. The resolutions that will be discussed at this year's meeting are now available for review and comment online at www.cmanet.org/hod. Testimony is open to all members, and is not limited to members of the House of Delegates. For the first time, testimony this year will only take place online ... September 23, 2015 General House of Delegates, CMA Policy 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA defeats bill that would have transferred negotiating power to health plans at the expense of physicians The California Medical Association (CMA) has defeated a bill that would have drastically changed the current health care marketplace by allowing a massive transfer of negotiating power to the health plans at the expense of physicians. Assembly Bill 533 was an attempt to shield patients from billing disputes between providers and health plans and would have required non-contracted physicians and dentists to accept Medicare rates as payment in full when performing services in a contracted or “in-network” facility. Although CMA is in favor of removing patients from billing disputes between ... September 23, 2015 Managed Care Advocacy, Medical Provider Networks, State Legislation, Health Plans 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Capitol Insight: Sept. 15, 2015 CMA Capitol Insight is a biweekly column by veteran journalist Anthony York, reporting on the inner workings of the state Legislature. The end of the road After years of having his way in the state legislature, Gov. Jerry Brown suffered a series of defeats at the end of this legislative year. Some came at the hands of Republicans – like Brown’s failure to muster support for new gasoline taxes to pay for road construction and repairs. Others were handed out by fellow Democrats, including a cluster of members in the ... September 23, 2015 General CMA Capitol Insight, State Legislature, Anthony York 0 0 Comment Read More »
Students to Service Loan Repayment Program Application Webinar Interested in applying to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program, but have questions about the application process and program requirements? If so, this webinar is for you! You will need to join online and by phone. • Use this link to log into the webinar as a guest • Dial-in: 1-888-566-6151 Passcode: 4221465 NHSC staff members will be available to answer any questions you may have. Learn more about the program and access other helpful application resources. September 15, 2015 General National Health Service Corps, NHSC, S2S LRP, Students to Service Loan Repayment Program 0 0 Comment Read More »
NPs and PAs can sign POLST forms beginning in 2016 A new law (Assembly Bill 637) recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will allow nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA), under the direction of a physician and within their scope of practice, to sign Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms and make them actionable medical orders. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2016. The POLST form is a legally recognized document that outlines a plan of care reflecting patients’ wishes concerning medical treatment and interventions toward the end of their lives. The California Medical Association (CMA) co-sponsored ... September 9, 2015 General Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, End of Life Issues, POLST 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ offers judicial review service to hospitals In the case of certain disciplinary actions, physicians are entitled by California law to a fair hearing by their peers. The California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality's (IMQ) Judicial Review program helps hospitals meet that requirement by providing qualified, independent physicians to serve on panels. Hospitals sometimes struggle to create unbiased judicial review panels and often have difficulty finding physicians without any perceived conflict of interest who are available to serve on consecutive days. IMQ meets that need by providing three or more qualified, independent physician panelists to hear ... September 8, 2015 General Peer Review, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
Field Poll: Nearly two-thirds of California voters support $2 per pack tobacco tax hike A proposal to raise California’s tobacco tax by $2 per pack is supported by an overwhelming majority of the state’s voters, according to a new Field Poll. The poll, released Aug. 26, shows over two-thirds of California voters support of a $2 tobacco tax hike, with 50 percent of those surveyed saying they strongly favor the increase. The poll was conducted between June 25 and July 16 by way of phone calls. The positive findings reflect the opinions of many health and labor advocates across the state, who believe boosting California’s ... September 8, 2015 General Tobacco, Tobacco Tax, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
