MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

CMA Legislative Day in Sacramento

The California Medical Association (CMA) will host its 49th annual Legislative Advocacy Day on April 19, 2023, in Sacramento. CMA's Legislative Advocacy Day consistently brings together more than 400 of physician and medical student leaders from all specialties and modes of practice. Attendees will hear directly from our physicians in the state legislature about the state’s priorities for health access. CMA will host a panel discussion with Assemblymembers Joaquin Arambula, M.D.; Jasmeet Bains, M.D.; and Akilah Weber, M.D.; with CMA Council on Legislation Chair Kelly McCue, M.D., as our moderator.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet with legislators on priority health care issues. If you've never attended a Leg Day, it's a great way to get facetime with legislators and attend briefings and trainings, as well as network with other physicians. Any SFMMS/CMA member may join in.

For more information: Ian Knox: iknox@sfmms.org Registration is here: https://www.cmadocs.org/event-info/SESSIONALTCD/LEGDAY23/t/legislative-advocacy-day

Recent Legislator meetings

As a result of our members' initiative, SFMMS leaders and staff have held several meetings with legislators and policymakers over the past few weeks:

• SFMMS PAC Chair, Dr. Joe Woo, alongside Drs. Gustin Ho and Kenneth Chang from the All-American Medical Group, co-hosted a press conference for HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in Chinatown. Becerra spoke about the Inflation Reduction Act.

• Members of our SFMMS Marin Committee met with staff from State Assemblymember Damon Connolly's office to gather information about his bill to phase out the sale of tobacco products.

• Immediate Past-President Dr. Michael Schrader led a meeting with San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to discuss violence against healthcare workers in hospitals and other care settings. Jenkins committed to delivering a webinar to SFMMS members about how to interact with her office and with police if they encounter violence in the workplace, and to exploring how California can replicate legislative protections for healthcare workers that other states have put in place.

• We have corresponded with Marin County Supervisors and Mill Valley City officials about the potential for ordinances related to the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes following a series of rider and pedestrian injuries.

CMA and more than 100 physician orgs unite to support prior authorization reforms

CMA and the physician groups sent a joint letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure lauding the agency for incorporating the feedback of physicians and other stakeholders into the proposed rule and urged CMS to finalize the rule, which includes the following provisions:

• Medicare Advantage (MA) plans may only use prior authorization to confirm diagnoses or other medical criteria and ensure the medical necessity of services.

• MA beneficiaries must have access to the same items and services as they would under traditional Medicare. When no applicable coverage rule exists under traditional Medicare, plans must use current evidence from widely used treatment guidelines or clinical literature for internal clinical coverage criteria, which must then be made publicly available.

• MA plans must establish a Utilization Management Committee to review their clinical coverage criteria and ensure consistency with traditional Medicare guidelines.

• MA plans cannot deny care ordered by a contracted physician based on a particular provider type or setting unless medical necessity criteria are not met. continued on page 32

January/February/March 2023

Volume 96, Number 1

Editor Gordon L. Fung, MD, PhD, FACC, FACP

Managing Editor Steve Heilig, MPH

Production Maureen Erwin

SFMMS OFFICERS

President Heyman Oo, MD, MPH

President-elect Dennis Song , MD, DDS

Secretary Sarita Satpathy, MD

Treasurer Jason Nau, MD

Immediate Past President Michael Schrader, MD

SFMMS STAFF

Executive Director

Conrad Amenta

Associate Executive Director, Public Health and Education

Steve Heilig, MPH

Director of Operations and Governance

Ian Knox

Director of Engagement

Molly Baldridge, MPH

Senior Director, Advocacy and Policy

Adam Francis

2022 SFMMS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edward Alfrey, MD

Melinda Aquino, MD

Ayanna Bennett, MD

Julie Bokser, MD

Kristina Casadei, MD

Clifford Chew, MD

Esme Cullen, MD

Manal Elkarra, MD

Mihal Emberton, MD

Cindy Greenberg, MD

Gordon L. Fung - MD, Editor

Beth Griffiths, MD

Ian McLachlan, MD

Jason Nau, MD, Treasurer

Heyman Oo, MD, President

Sarita Satpathy, MD, Secretary

Michael Schrader, MD, Immediate Past-President

Yalda Shahram, MD

Neeru Singh, MD

Dennis Song , MD, DDS, President-Elect

Kristen Swann, MD

Kenneth Tai, MD

Melanie Thompson, MD

Matthew D. Willis, MD

Kristen Wong, MD

Andrea Yeung, MD

Helen Yu, MD

For questions regarding journal, including possible submissions, contact Steve Heilig: Heilig@sfmms.org

Cover Art: “The Staff of Life” by

Cynthia Fletcher, 20x16, oil on panel,

http://www.cynthiafletcherart.com/