State awards $30.5 million in primary care residency program funding The California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission awarded upwards of $30.5 million to support more than 175 primary care residency slots for the 2017 cycle of the Song Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program. A record number of applications were received this year, in large part due to the additional physician workforce funding secured by the California Medical Association (CMA) through the state budget. In 2016, the California legislature passed a budget that committed $100 million over three years ($33 million each year) in health care workforce funding. Although Governor Brown proposed ... February 5, 2018 CMA, General GME, Graduate Medical Education, Physician Workforce, Primary Care, Residents and Fellows, Song Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program 0 0 Comment Read More »
Take the #MoveWithHeart pledge This American Heart Month, the California Medical Association is joining the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in a national pledge to #MoveWithHeart. We invite you to submit a pledge by recording a video of yourself and upload it to Twitter or Instagram using #MoveWithHeart or go to www.MoveWithHeartPledge.com. Participate in just three simple steps: Record a short video of yourself saying “I pledge to move more for my heart health.” Share it on Twitter or Instagram using #MoveWithHeart. Challenge friends ... February 5, 2018 General Cardiology, Heart Health, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA calls for investigation into Anthem policy restricting use of sedation during cataract surgery On December 27, 2017, Anthem Blue Cross implemented a clinical guideline that restricts the use of intravenous anesthesia to sedate patients during cataract surgery. The California Medical Association (CMA) believes this drastic change in policy will cause significant patient safety concerns and put patients at risk of serious complications, including blindness. The new policy, “Anesthesia for Cataract Surgery,” deems intravenous anesthesia (including moderate sedation, monitored anesthesia care or general anesthesia) not medically necessary, except in very narrow circumstances. Anthem patients wishing to have any form of intravenous anesthesia during the ... February 5, 2018 General, Managed Care Anthem Blue Cross, Anesthesiology, Contract Amendment, Medical Necessity, Opthalmology 0 0 Comment Read More »
Fake DEA extortion scam resurfaces in California Scam artists posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents are calling California physicians and consumers as part of an international extortion scheme. While the scam is not new—it’s been making the rounds for the past five years—a number of California physicians have reported recent extortion attempts. The scammers identify themselves as DEA agents or other law enforcement, telling their victims that purchasing drugs via phone or internet is illegal and that enforcement action will be taken against them if they don’t pay a fine, usually thousands of dollars. No DEA ... February 5, 2018 General DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration, Scams 0 0 Comment Read More »
February is Heart Month: Help spread the word Did you know that 1,458,000 people in California have coronary heart disease? Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, it is largely preventable and there are many things your patients can do to reduce their risk. To mark the start of this year’s #HeartMonth, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and its The Heart Truth program have developed a toolkit to help raise awareness about heart disease. The toolkit contains educational materials to use in your practice and your community, social media ... February 5, 2018 General Cardiology, Heart Health, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Health plans terminate contracts with EHS and transition patients to other entities As previously reported, the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) issued a cease-and-desist order on December 26, 2017, requiring nine health plans to terminate their contracts with Employee Health Systems (EHS) Medical Group Inc. This order comes after SynerMed—a company closely affiliated with EHS—was accused of blocking patient access to specialists to hold down costs. EHS has 600,000 patients statewide—90 percent of whom are Medi-Cal managed care patients. As required by DMHC, health plans affected by this order were required to submit a transition plan by January 3, 2018, ... February 5, 2018 Managed Care, Medi-Cal Continuity of Care, Department of Managed Health Care, DMHC, Health Plans, Insurance, Medi-Cal, Payor Contracting 0 0 Comment Read More »
On-Demand Webinar: Understanding Medicare Changes: An Impossible Dream? The California Medical Association (CMA) recently hosted a free webinar examining changes to the Medicare program for 2018 and providing tips for regulatory compliance, presented by the medical director of California’s Medicare contractor, Noridian Healthcare Solutions. The webinar is now available for on-demand viewing in the CMA resource library. This download is free for all. This review includes an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) program, a type of Medicare audit, and its review process; changes to Local Coverage Determinations ... February 5, 2018 CMA, Medicare Government Payors, Medicare, Noridian, Webinars 0 0 Comment Read More »
Free workshops on medical board's new Physician Health and Wellness Program The California Public Protection & Physician Health Inc. (CPPPH) is offering a series of free informational workshops about the Medical Board of California’s new Physician Health and Wellness Program. The workshops will discuss: how the new program will work, when it will be available to physicians, and what role medical group and medical staff well-being committees will play. CPPPH, together with the California Society of Addiction Medicine and California Medical Association (CMA), are encouraging all wellbeing committees and medical staff leaders to attend one of these workshop sessions so they can ... January 30, 2018 General California Public Protectioin and Physician Health, CPPPH, Medical Board of California, Physician Well-being, Physician Wellness 0 0 Comment Read More »
Call for nominations: California Delegation to the AMA The California Medical Association (CMA) is seeking nominations for physicians to serve as at-large delegates and alternates to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates. Current delegates who are eligible for reappointment must submit an application for the 2018 term. They will not be reappointed if a form is not submitted. We are seeking physicians who are active CMA members and able to serve as delegates or alternates twice a year during the annual (June) and interim (November) meetings of the AMA House of Delegates for a two-year term ... January 30, 2018 CMA, General AMA, American Medical Association, CMA Nominations 0 0 Comment Read More »
Stopgap bill to fund federal government includes 6-year CHIP extension Today, the U.S. Senate voted to end the federal shutdown and keep the government running temporarily for three weeks until February 8. This stopgap bill will give budget negotiators time to develop a final agreement on 2018 fiscal year spending. The House of Representatives is expected to adopt the Senate’s three-week stopgap bill. The bill also includes a six-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – an important program that serves nearly 2 million children and pregnant women in California, and more than 9 million nationwide. The California ... January 30, 2018 General Federal Legislation, Federal Legislative Advocacy, Maternal and Child Health, State Children's Health Insurance Program 0 0 Comment Read More »
