California Senate Passes Two Bills That Would Expand Scope of Practice; Bills May Potentially Endanger Patient Safety The California Senate passed SB491 and SB492 that aim to expand certain health care providers' scope of practice as a means to address California's primary care physician shortage. SFMS and CMA strongly oppose these bills because they set a dangerous precedent of allowing non-physicians to practice medicine without being subject to the Medical Practice Act (MPA), which regulates the practice of medicine and in which violations may result in the loss of a medical license and possibly criminal prosecution. May 29, 2013 Advocacy, CMA, Health Care Reform, Politics and Medicine, Primary Care SB 492, SB 493, Scope of practice, SB 491, SFMS Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
Your Help Needed to Oppose SB 62 (Bill Requiring Medical Board Investigations for Prescription Drug Deaths) The Senate Appropriations Committee will be considering SB 62, a bill that would require a coroner to file a report with the medical board when a controlled substance is found to be a contributing factor in a death. SB 62 simplifies a very complicated issue to the potential detriment of patients. SFMS/CMA is urging physicians to contact their senators today and ask them to oppose this flawed bill. May 21, 2013 Advocacy, CMA, Politics and Medicine, Public Health SFMS Legislative Action Alert, prescription drug, Professional Development and Licensure, SB 62 0 0 Comment Read More »
MICRA Under Attack; Changing/Overturning MICRA Impedes Access to Health Care for Californians In early May, California’s trial attorneys launched an all-out assault on California's historic tort reform law, which since 1975 has helped keep malpractice premiums in-check and ensured that California’s patients have access to affordable health care. May 10, 2013 Advocacy, MICRA, News, Politics and Medicine Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act , medical malpractice, MICRA, professional liability 0 0 Comment Read More »
SFMS/CMA asks California Supreme Court to Depublish Case that Ignores MICRA's Definition of Professional Negligence SFMS and the California Medical Association, together with other amici, has asked the California Supreme Court to depublish an appellate court opinion that thwarts the long-standing definition of "professional negligence" in California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act. The ruling, if allowed to stand as precedent for future cases, could be misused to undermine the goals of MICRA and adversely affect the entirety of the health care system and safety net in California. May 10, 2013 Advocacy, CMA, MICRA, News, Politics and Medicine Flores vs. Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act , MICRA, professional liability 0 0 Comment Read More »
Update on Scope of Practice Legislation A package of bills (SB 491, SB 492, SB 493) aiming to expand or alter the scope of practice for a collection of allied health professionals successfully cleared the Senate Committee on Business, Profession and Economic Development yesterday. April 30, 2013 Advocacy, CMA, News, Politics and Medicine SB 491, SB 492, SB 493, scope of practice, State Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
