May 01, 2014
Area(s) of Interest:
Access to Care Advocacy
Three California Medical Association (CMA)-sponsored bills to increase access to care in the state cleared their first legislative hurdle last week.
The bills, Assembly Bills 1805, 1759 and 2458, were each unanimously approved by the Assembly Committee on Health. Their passage followed an event earlier in day that saw the bills’ respective authors gather on the steps of the Capitol with physicians and students to discuss the importance of increased access.
Each bill seeks to address the issue of access to care in a different way:
- AB 1805, authored by Assembly member Nancy Skinner, seeks to restore the 10 percent cut Medi-Cal cut made back in 2011.
- AB 1759, authored by Assembly member Richard Pan, M.D., would extend through 2015 and indefinitely beyond the reimbursement increase for certain Medi-Cal primary care providers, currently mandated by the ACA, but set to expire on December 31, 2014.
- AB 2458, authored by Assembly member Susan Bonilla, would allocate $25 million in general fund dollars for one year, and another $2.8 million every year for three years from the California Health Data and Planning Fund, to establish 300 new residency spots in California.
The bills now head the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Contact: CMA Center for Government Relations, (916) 444-5532 or memberservice@cmadocs.org.