HEALTH UPDATE: PREVENT MPOX TRANSMISSION IN SUMMER 2023 While cases of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) have declined in Santa Clara County and the United States, the outbreak is not over. Recently, Chicago has reported 23 mpox cases since April 2023. As noted in a health alert from Chicago, which reported the first 12 confirmed and one probable cases from this cluster, nine out the first 13 (69%) cases were fully vaccinated. For the nine out of 13 cases for which travel history was available, four had traveled recently (three traveled within the US, one traveled out of the country). None ... May 22, 2023 Advocacy, General, Healthcare, Patient Care, Public Health CDC Guidelines, JYNNEOS, MPOX, STI Prevention, STI Treatment, vaccination 0 0 Comment Read More »
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 »
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 »
SCCMA BioEthics Committee Share a Model Policy on Health Care Decisions for Incapacitated Patients Without Surrogates (Update to SCCMA 2001 Policy) The SCCMA Bioethics Committee updated a policy written in 2001. The new document, Health Care Decisions for Incapacitated Patients Without Surrogates: Revisions to the 2001 SCCMA Model Policy, is intended as guidance to provide procedural mechanisms whereby ethically and medically appropriate health care decisions can be made on behalf of adult persons who lack health care decision-making capacity and for whom no willing and able surrogate decision-maker can be identified. The original policy was written in 2001. Because the previous policy was over 20 years old, it was felt by the Bioethics Committee that a revised ... May 1, 2023 General, Healthcare, Patient Care incapacitated patient, treatment guidelines 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA statement on Supreme Court's order granting stay in medication abortion case Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., the president of the California Medical Association (CMA), issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court order granting a stay in the lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its approval of mifepristone. “The U.S. Supreme Court’s order today to stay the lower court rulings is great news, as it means mifepristone will remain available in the interim for the lives and welfare of millions of people who might need this drug that has been FDA-approved as safe and effective for 23 years. “As ... April 24, 2023 CMA, Drug Prescribing/Dispensing, Healthcare, legislation, Patient Care FDA, Reproductive RIghts 0 0 Comment Read More »
