Recap of 2011 CMA House of Delegates; SFMS Delegation Scored Big Wins October 20, 2011 CMA, SFMS Member CMA governance, CMA House of Delegates, SFMS Delegation 0 The SFMS Delegation, along with hundreds of California physicians, convened in Anaheim this past weekend for the 2011 CMA House of Delegates. The CMA HOD is an annual conference where all 53 California counties, representing all modes of practice, meet to discuss issues related to health care policy, medicine and patient care, and to elect CMA officers. A shortlist of the newly approved policies are posted below, all of which stemmed from SFMS submitted resolutions. Generic versus brand medications (Resolution 504-11): The delegates asked CMA to oppose the profit-motivated removal of generic medications from the market in favor of much more expensive brand products and refer for national action. Presumed consent for organ donation (Resolution 509-11): The delegates asked CMA to recognize the worsening shortage of donor organs and to support pilot studies for presumed consent as advocated by the AMA in 2005; The delegates also asked CMA to study “presumed consent” for organ donation to determine how future policy can be implemented in a manner that protects both patient and donor. Oppose legal prohibition of circumcision (Resolution 106-11): The delegates directed CMA to oppose any attempt to legally prohibit male infant circumcision and to refer this for national action. Regulation of electronic cigarettes (Resolution 113-11): The delegates voted to support the prohibition of the use of electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices not approved by the FDA as smoking cessation aids in places where smoking is prohibited by law, and to support requiring a tobacco permit for the sale of electronic cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices not approved by the FDA as smoking cessation aids. Coverage of contraception as health insurance benefit (Resolution 403-11): The delegates directed CMA to support coverage, without copayments, of all FDA-approved contraception methods and sterilization as a mandated health benefit of all health plans. The rest of the actions of the 2011 House of Delegates will be posted later this week to the CMA website. Comments are closed.
