1. Senate Medical Malpractice Compromise Bill on
Hold The senator has been working with Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., in an attempt to craft a bipartisan compromise bill. But because of CMA’s serious concerns about the proposed compromise, which would cap most noneconomic damages at $500,000 and provide for a $2 million cap on noneconomic claims in some "catastrophic" cases, Sen. Feinstein has decided not to introduce the bill. "Senator Feinstein is an incredible physician ally and is not giving up on her commitment to find a real solution," says CMA CEO Jack Lewin, M.D. "The senator agrees with us that no bill at all is better than an ineffective one." The good news, however, is that the Senate recognizes the urgency of this issue and will continue to address it in the weeks to come. Indeed, Sen. Feinstein continues to negotiate with her Senate colleagues, and hopes to craft a bill that will gain the support of Senate Democrats and the physicians the bill is intended to protect. CMA leaders have made it clear to Senate leadership that CMA will not compromise on the $250,000 cap or other key MICRA provisions.Click here for more information. Contact: Rachel Doherty Smith, 916/444-5532 or rsmith@cmanet.org.
2. CMA House of
Delegates Sets Policy on Pressing Issues for State's
Physicians Prescription Drugs from Foreign Countries—CMA appears to be the first medical association in the country to adopt an official policy that encourages state legislation that would allow residents to purchase and import brand name pharmaceuticals from foreign countries for personal use. Medical Staff Self-Governance—The House voted (Resolution 618-03) that CMA shall communicate its support for the medical staff of the Community Hospital of San Buenaventura in Ventura in its fight for independent and democratic self-governance. The resolution further called on CMA to encourage members to contribute to CMA’s Legal Defense Fund, and to use the fund to support legal actions supporting the self-governance of the medical staff at the Community Hospital of San Buenaventura. Limited English Proficiency and Language Access—Resolution 712-03 reaffirms CMA’s commitment to cultural and linguistic sensitivity within the provisions of medical care and its belief that effective communication with patients is essential to quality care, access to care, and patient compliance. The resolution calls on CMA to identify potential sources of funding for interpreter services and to continue to inform members of the many resources currently available to help physicians and their office staffs address the cultural and linguistic needs of their patients. Childhood Obesity—The House passed a number of resolutions (101a-03, 103a-03, 104a-03) aimed at reducing the incidence of childhood obesity in the United States. It voted that CMA shall strongly encourage the development of programs for the prevention and treatment of morbid childhood obesity. Such programs could include obesity prevention as part of public school curriculum, sponsorship of legislation to strengthen nutritional standards for all food made available in public K-12 schools, and state-mandated physical education in schools. The House also voted that CMA should explore methods to protect schools from litigation when they make their facilities available to communities for after-hours physical activities. Medicare—The House adopted Resolution 213a-03, which says that CMA shall continue to advocate for changes within the Medicare program to assure that access is available to seniors, that physicians are offered fair reimbursement rates, and that physicians continue to be offered the choice of participating in or opting out of the Medicare program. The resolution also calls for CMA to offer, design, and implement programs to assist doctors in opting out of Medicare if they so choose, and to publicize this service widely and actively. The House also established principles by which CMA will evaluate any legislative proposal creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care—The House passed Resolution 613-03, which says that CMA shall make the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in health care an issue of highest priority. Calling on CMA to explore ways to help physicians improve the cultural effectiveness of their practices, the resolution also requires CMA, as appropriate in its ongoing legislative, political, economic, and legal advocacy and public health efforts, to incorporate strategies that would eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Ban on Tobacco Advertising—Continuing CMA’s 30-year campaign against tobacco use, the House passed Resolution 119-03 supporting a national and international ban on tobacco advertising. The House also passed Resolution 120a-03, calling on CMA to make information about the tobacco advertising policies of magazines available to interested physicians on the CMA website. To read the resolutions in their entirety, click here. More highlights from the 2003 House of Delegates meeting—including actions taken by the Board of Trustees—will be published in next week’s Alert.
3. San Diego Physician Becomes CMA
President Elect "We need a brighter future for California and its physicians, a future that attracts the best and the brightest of the profession to our state, and keeps them," he said. He called on his colleagues to unite to protect the profession from such abuses and to improve health care for patients. Dr. Hertzka is an obstetrical anesthesiologist at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women in San Diego, and, at U.C. San Diego Medical School, where he is an assistant clinical professor, he teaches the nation’s only medical school course on the interaction of politics and health policy. Dr. Hertzka has been active in state and national medical societies for 15 years, serving on the CMA Board of Trustees for nine years. Since 1999, he has been chair of CALPAC, the political action committee of CMA, and in 2002, he became chair of AMPAC, AMA’s political action committee. He is a past president of the San Diego County Medical Society.
4. Redlands Physician Takes
Office as CMA President "We need to get all types of insurers—private and government—to
increase payments so they cover the cost of care, and to require
them to pay the right amount on time and without hassles," he said.
"These changes may help stop the flight of physicians from
California and help us persuade new doctors to move to California so
patients can have access to the quality care they deserve." Dr. Bangasser is also a member of the board of the American
Medical Association Foundation, the Integrated Healthcare
Association, and Blue Shield of California.
5. Eureka Physician
Receives CMA's Plessner Award
BACK TO TOP
6. Senate Health Committee Passes CMA-Sponsored
"Nickel-a-Drink" Bill For additional information on this and other bills of interest to California physicians, see CMA’s Legislative Hot List online at http://www.calphys.org. Contact: Dustin Corcoran, 916/444-5532 or dcorcoran@cmanet.org.
7. CMA's On-Call Survey
Results Available Online CMA received 353 responses, representing 160 hospitals, or 34 percent of the 465 hospitals in California. Of those respondents, 75 percent said that the issue of on-call coverage is either a very serious problem (33 percent) or a somewhat serious problem (42 percent) at their hospital. Nearly one-third of the hospitals represented by CMA’s survey currently have a voluntary call panel, while 47 percent have a mandatory call-panel. Of those with mandatory panels, however, 11 percent plan to change to a voluntary panel in the near future. The complete results of this survey are available by clicking here. Contact: Robin Flagg Strimling, 415/882-5110 or rstrimling@cmanet.org.
8.
Save the Date: Current Issues
in Women's Health
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