September 28Webinar: New Federal Loan Forgiveness for CA and TX Physicians – Everything Physicians and Hospitals Need to Know (Hosted by CMA)
September 307th Annual Joy of Medicine Summit
October 3Emergency Care Committee
October 5Webinar: Elevating Physician Practices – Grant Opportunities for Advancing Population Health and Data Sharing Capabilities (Hosted by CMA)
October 5Physician Peer Group – Fair Oaks
October 10Joy of Medicine Advisory Committee
October 11Shaping Your Future: A Social for Residents & Fellows
October 11Physician Peer Group – El Dorado Hills
October 11Physician Peer Group – Newcastle
October 12Editorial Committee Meeting
October 17Public and Environmental Health Committee Meeting
October 21-22CMA House of Delegate
November 2Physician Peer Group – Fair Oaks
November 8 Physician Peer Group – El Dorado Hills
November 8Physician Peer Group – Newcastle
The Coalition to Protect Access to Care, a group of health care organizations led by CMA, has filed a statewide ballot initiative for the November 2024 election which would expand Californians’ access to care by making the Medi-Cal provider rate increases from the 2023-24 budget deal permanent, expanding access to health care for Medi-Cal patients, increasing funding for mental health programs, and enabling California to manufacture its own insulin and other prescription drugs.
SSVMS leaders also met with local members of Congress, including Congressmembers Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Tom McClintock (CA-05), to discuss federal legislation. These bills included: HR 2474, or the Strengthening Medicare for Physicians and Patients Act, which provides annual inflation updates to the Medicare physician fee schedule; HR 2389/S 1302, or the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which provides 14,000 new Graduate Medical Education positions over the next seven years; and HR 4189/S 2016, or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2023, which makes the COVID-19 pandemic telehealth waivers permanent.
The California Medical Association and Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society earned a major victory by expanding eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to include many California physicians who were previously ineligible. Read our story on who can qualify.
SSVMS and CMA members also participated in grassroots efforts to support HR 2474 by calling their members of Congress.
AB 470, which encourages physicians to take foreign language courses as part of their continuing medical education requirements, has passed both the State Assembly and the State Senate and is awaiting action by the governor, who has 30 days to either sign or veto.
AB 571, which addresses medical malpractice insurance coverage in relation to abortion, contraception, or gender-affirming health care that is not legal in other states, has passed both the State Assembly and the State Senate and is awaiting action by Gov. Newsom, who has 30 days to either sign or veto.
SB 487, which addresses abortion provider protections, has passed both the State Assembly and the State Senate and is awaiting action by the Governor, who has 30 days to either sign or veto.
SB 582, which would authorize the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework to create policies and procedures for including electronic health records vendors in the legal structure of the framework and incorporate federal standards for the reasonableness of vendor fees, has been sent to the governor for his signature.
A companion bill to SB 582, AB 352, also passed and was sent to the governor. AB 352 requires security features, including limiting user access privileges and segregating medical information related to gender affirming care, abortion and abortion-related services, and contraception. It also prohibits a health care provider, health care service plan, contractor, or employer from cooperating with any inquiry or investigation by another state that would identify an individual or that is related to an individual seeking or obtaining an abortion or abortion-related services that are lawful in California SB 352 also exempts health care provider from legal liability for damages surrounding these actions.
SB 598, which addresses prior authorization, was held in committee and not enacted this year.
