Sugar-sweetened drinks responsible for 25,000 U.S. deaths each year Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, concluded that sugary beverages cause the deaths of 25,000 Americans each year through their contributions to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Globally, sugary drinks contribute to 180,000 deaths each year, with the highest death rate in Mexico. The U.S. ranked second. The study’s authors examined beverage consumption through national dietary surveys gathered by 51 countries from 1980 to 2010. After estimating how sugar-sweetened beverages contribute toward obesity, and how obesity contributes toward various diseases, the researchers were able to conclude ... July 24, 2015 General Diabetes, NEPO, Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations, Public Health, CMA Foundation 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA updates ICD-10 transition guide With less than three months until the transition to ICD-10, will your practice be ready on October 1, 2015? To help physicians prepare for the transition, the California Medical Association (CMA) has updated its “ICD-10 Transition Guide,” which includes an ICD-10 transition preparation checklist. New information includes: new table indicating code categories that are expanded as well as those that are reduced under ICD-10; information on how payors will handle prior authorizations around the transition date; listing and links to CMA’s live ICD-10 training courses; information on the Centers for ... July 24, 2015 Managed Care ICD-10 0 0 Comment Read More »
Dementia communication conference coming to northern and southern California in July The California Partnership to Improve Dementia care is presenting a one-day conference, “I Already Told You...Don't You Remember,” a guide to excellence in dementia communications and behavior prevention without antipsychotic medication, in both northern and southern California in July. The conference will be offered in Sacramento on July 29 and in Lake San Marcos on July 30. The program will demonstrate dementia communication skills known to prevent or reduce the intensity of challenging behaviors, offer tips for coaching these skills in your own organization and share experiences from communities that ... July 20, 2015 General Quality of Care, Seniors and Persons with Disabilities, Aging 0 0 Comment Read More »
Updated payor profiles now available The California Medical Association’s (CMA) Center for Economic Services has published updated profiles on each of the major payors in California including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, CIGNA, Health Net, United Healthcare, Medicare/Noridian and Medi-Cal. Each profile includes key information on health plan market penetration, a description of the plan’s dispute resolution process and the name and contact numbers for medical directors, provider relations and other key contacts. Don’t waste your time searching the internet for this information – members can download CMA’s Payor Profiles free ... July 20, 2015 Managed Care Payor Profiles 0 0 Comment Read More »
Special session on Medi-Cal financing underway in the Capitol In June, Gov. Jerry Brown convened a special legislative session on "health care financing." Specifically, legislators will be working to come up with new funding for developmental disability services, in-home supportive services and the Medi-Cal program, which is facing a shortfall of at least $1.1 billion through the loss of the managed care organization (MCO) tax. Since 2005, the state has taxed MCOs and used the money to cover the costs of provider reimbursement. However, last summer federal officials informed California that its MCO tax structure was not compliant with ... July 20, 2015 Medi-Cal Medi-Cal Cuts, State Legislative Advocacy, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
Package of six bills would raise smoking age, regulate e-cigarettes and fight youth smoking, among other proposals Sacramento, CA — The Save Lives California coalition praised Senate and Assembly Democrats for announcing a bold package of bills to fight the No. 1 cause of preventable death in California: tobacco use. The bills will be taken up during the second extraordinary session, called by Governor Jerry Brown to address healthcare. In a display of strong cooperation and determination, the two houses have each introduced the same six bills aimed at preventing death from tobacco-related diseases and reducing costs of smoking on California’s health system by reducing smoking and ... July 20, 2015 General Save Lives California, State Legislative Advocacy, Tobacco, Tobacco Tax, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA member Dr. Joaquin Arambula kicks off election campaign for state Assembly Joaquin Arambula, M.D., a California Medical Association (CMA) member and emergency room physician from Fresno, kicked off his campaign to represent the 31st district in the state Assembly this Thursday. Born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley, Dr. Arambula is a product of Fresno public schools and the son of former Assemblyman Juan Arambula. Dr. Arambula practices medicine at Adventist Medical Center-Selma, where he has served in a senior position with California Emergency Physicians for the past eight years. The medical center’s emergency department has won two California Emergency Physician ... July 20, 2015 General Physician Leadership, CALPAC 0 0 Comment Read More »
Bills to expand nurse practitioners', optometrists' scope of practice stall in Assembly committee A bill that would have allowed nurse practitioners (NP) to practice independently and prescribe drugs without physician oversight is finished, at least for the year. Senate Bill 323 was voted down 8-4 on June 30 in the Assembly Business and Professions (B&P) Committee. The committee agreed to take it up again on July 14, but the bill was pulled from the hearing by its author, Senator Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa). The California Medical Association (CMA) and the California Academy of Family Physicians led the fight against SB 323. Senator Hernandez also pulled ... July 20, 2015 General Scope of Practice, Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Optometrists, Quality of Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
Changing locations? Remember: a change of address of record must be reported to the Medical Board of California within 30 days at http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Licensees/Address_of_Record.aspx. (Business and Professions Code Section 2021(d)) July 14, 2015 General Licensure, Medical Board of California 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA releases 2015 annotated Model Medical Staff Bylaws The California Medical Association (CMA) has released its 2015 Model Medical Staff Bylaws. These bylaws are the definitive guide for medical staffs, providing details on professional and legal structures to support effective medical staff operations and self-governance. The model bylaws are fully annotated to provide background information on critical provisions, including explanations of relevant state and federal laws, hospital accreditation standards, and other explanatory information. CMA's lawyers performed a complete evaluation of the bylaws to ensure they comport with current law and reflect CMA’s positions and policies. A number of revisions ... July 14, 2015 General Hospital Medical Staff, Medical Staff, Medical Staff Bylaws, Medical Staff Self-Governance, Bylaws 0 0 Comment Read More »
