Federal court halts expanded religious exemption from ACA contraceptive mandate On January 7, 2019, the California Medical Association (CMA), along with other health care provider organizations, filed an amicus brief in support of the State of California in its challenge to federal rules that would expand a group health plan or health insurer's ability to claim a religious or moral objection to opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate. On January 13, 2019, one day before the effective date, the federal court granted the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking the rules from going ... January 22, 2019 General Access to Care, Amicus Briefs, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
Newsom's first budget puts health care access, costs front and center SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom released his first state budget proposal on Thursday, including a number of new goals and programs aimed at making health care more affordable and accessible to all Californians. The governor is following through on a key campaign promise by investing more than $1 billion in Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenue to increase access for Medi-Cal patients. That investment will help make it easier for low-income patients throughout California to see a physician and make Medi-Cal coverage more meaningful and effective for patients. Much of Newsom’s health ... January 14, 2019 General Access to Care, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Gov. Newsom signs executive order expanding health care access Within hours of being sworn in as California’s 40th governor on Monday, Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that will help control health care costs and expand access to care for millions of Californians. Gov. Newsom announced the creation of the nation’s first state-run purchasing program for prescription drugs to help bring down costs via bulk purchasing. He also announced his intention to expand Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented Californians up to age 26. (California current allows anyone under age 19 to receive Medi-Cal benefits, regardless of immigration status.) The governor also ... January 14, 2019 General Access to Care, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA statement on proposed policy linking safety net benefits and immigration status Statement attributable to: Theodore M. Mazer, M.D., President of the California Medical Association (CMA) “CMA believes that everyone, regardless of immigration status, should have access to needed affordable and quality health care. The proposed policy makes utilizing health programs a disqualifier for immigration, and it would have a chilling effect on families accessing health care services while decreasing public health in communities across California. Health care should remain a safe place for all, and we urge the Trump Administration to rethink this irresponsible policy.” September 27, 2018 CMA, General Access to Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
House votes to expand health savings accounts On July 25, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills (H.R. 6199 and H.R. 6311) that would expand how health savings accounts (HSAs) and other tax-preferred accounts can be used on health care spending. HSAs, which are paired with high deductible health plans, allow people to contribute pre-tax earnings each year and save for medical expenses. The first bill—H.R. 6199, which passed 277 to 142—would allow individuals with HSA-eligible high-deductible health plans to use up to $250 a year (or $500 a year for families) on services like primary ... August 15, 2018 General Access to Care, Health Care Reform, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
California among six states that pay the least for Medicaid beneficiaries, says GAO report According to a report released this week by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), California is one of six states that spends less than $6,000 per Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) enrollee per year. The other states include Illinois Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. In contrast the report found that eight states, including New York, spend at least $10,500 per beneficiary. The report also found that Medi-Cal fee-for-service pays on average 61 percent of what private insurers in the state pay for the same evaluation and management services, with Medi-Cal ... July 22, 2014 Medi-Cal Insurance/Reimbursement, Medicaid, Access to Care, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Democratic Party to remain neutral on Prop. 46 Backers of Proposition 46, the MICRA lawsuit measure, were dealt another severe blow this weekend when, despite their intense lobbying, the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party rejected their efforts to gain an endorsement, instead voting to remain neutral. Over the course of the three-day meeting, Democratic Party leaders and activists who reviewed Prop. 46 found that, if the initiative were to pass, health care costs would go up, access to care would go down, community clinics would be harmed and personal privacy will be put at risk. Understanding its ... July 15, 2014 General Access to Care, Professional Liability, MICRA 0 0 Comment Read More »
FAQ: Do service dogs have to be accommodated in a physician's office? Physicians are asked to accommodate service dogs in their offices with increasing frequency. The law generally requires a place of public accommodation, like a physician's office, to permit service dogs where customers would normally be allowed so long as providing the accommodation is reasonable and necessary. However, what constitutes a service dog is not always obvious as many people also have companion animals or emotional support animals they wish to bring. The law does not require companion animals to be accommodated in the same way as service animals. To help ... July 15, 2014 General ADA/Discrimination, Disabilities, Access to Care, Legal Issues 0 0 Comment Read More »
Study finds that ACA Medi-Cal expansion could fuel ER use A retrospective study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that the number of visits to California emergency rooms (ERs) rose by 13.2 percent between 2005 and 2010, from 5.4 million to 6.1 million annually, with a significant 35 percent increase in the number of ER patients insured through Medi-Cal. The authors suggest that the Medi-Cal expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could further increase these numbers, as millions of additional patients become eligible for Medi-Cal in 2014. Researchers also found that Medi-Cal patients ... September 20, 2013 Medi-Cal Emergency Physicians, Emergency Rooms, Insurance/Reimbursement, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Cuts, Access to Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA files a petition with the Supreme Court to block the 10 percent physician reimbursement cut The California Medical Association (CMA) filed a petition today asking the United States Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that cleared the way for the State of California to implement a 10 percent cut to Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rates. Federal law requires that Medi-Cal patients have the same access to physicians and other health care providers as the general insured public. Despite this law, a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled that the state could move forward with the rate cuts, passed by ... September 20, 2013 Medi-Cal Advocacy, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Cuts, United States Supreme Court, Access to Care, Medi-Cal Lawsuit 0 0 Comment Read More »
