REMINDER: Write Your Congress Person Today! The California Medical Association is urging physicians to contact their Members of Congress today and encourage them to sign a “Dear Colleague” letter that urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to promptly finalize its proposed prior authorization rules and hold big insurance companies accountable for the undue burden their policies put on physicians and patients. The deadline to sign is May 19, 2023. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Improving Seniors' Access to Timely Care Act; bipartisan legislation with over 300 cosponsors requiring Medicare Advantage plans ... May 16, 2023 Advocacy, CMA, Drug Prescribing/Dispensing, Healthcare, Insurance, legislation, Patient Care prior authorization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Highlights from CMA Legislative Advocacy Day On April 19th, 2023 the Santa Clara County Medical Association participated in the CMA’s 49th Legislative Advocacy Day. It was a huge success! Our SCCMA team sent 22 physicians to Sacramento to meet with our legislative offices. We had nine legislative meetings in one day. We met with the offices for Assemblymember Low, Assemblymember Lee, Assemblymember Pellerin, Senator Becker, Senator Wahab, Assemblymember Rivas, Assemblymember Kalra, Assemblymember Berman and Senator Cortese. Our group convened at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center with Hundreds of other physicians, residents and medicals students from ... May 11, 2023 Advocacy, CMA, Healthcare, Leadership, Medi-Cal, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Grassroots call to action requested by CMA Today, CMA launched a grassroots campaign in opposition to SB 784. The SB 784 bill would allow permanent exemptions to the Corporate Bar for health care districts which would set a dangerous precedent for physicians and patients across the state. This bill will be heard in the Senate Appropriation Committee on May 8th at 10 am. The bill so far has had no “No” votes in any policy committee. We know that expressed concern from physicians in their district will help Senators understand why this bill must be stopped. Please go to ... May 3, 2023 Advocacy, CMA, General, Healthcare, legislation, Patient Care, Physician Workforce, Public Health rural communities, safeguarding patients 0 0 Comment Read More »
12 ways to be a Physician Advocate Critical issues affecting physicians and the practice of medicine are being decided in the legislative arena now. Health care reform, workforce, Medi-Cal and scope of practice are just a few of the vital issues being debated and voted on by elected officials in Sacramento. The California Medical Association (CMA) has some of the best lobbyists and lawyers in the Capitol, but the most powerful advocate in advancing the cause of physicians and patients is YOU. Below are 12 ways that YOU can be a physician advocate. Use Your Voice Hearing from physicians ... April 19, 2023 Advocacy, CMA, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Big Provisions in $1.7 Trillion Omnibus: What Doctors Should Know In enacting the 4,000-plus page, end-of-the-year spending package, Washington politicians failed to stop the entirety of scheduled Medicare pay cuts, which will come at a financially precarious time for physician practices left reeling in the COVID-19 pandemic’s third year. Because of that, physicians will face a 2% cut in Medicare payment in 2023, and 2024 will bring at least a 1.25% cut. Nevertheless, the $1.7 trillion bill signed by President Joe Biden does include a number of important AMA-supported provisions that physicians should know about. Among other things, the omnibus bill ... January 27, 2023 Advocacy, AMA, Health Net, Healthcare, legislation, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
