Hundreds of California physicians are traveling to Anaheim this weekend for the 146th Annual Session of the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD). HOD is CMA’s annual meeting, during which the association will recognize award-winners, discuss major issues affecting the practice of medicine, elect officers and install a new CMA president.

We will be live tweeting from the event, so be sure to follow along with #CMAHOD.

Major Issues

CMA physician delegates meet annually to establish broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the association and the practice of medicine. Final reports on these major issues are now available for comment or amendment. CMA is also accepting online amendments submissions, to be available for debate during the annual session. 

Health Care Reform: While the future of federal health care reform remains unclear, CMA continues to work with federal and state lawmakers to ensure that the health care system works for physicians and patients. The CMA House of Delegates will discuss recommendations and regulations that will assist with federal health care reform, as well as discuss how single payer or public health care options might work.

Physician Workforce:  Maintaining a physician workforce that ensures all patients have sufficient and timely access to quality medical care continues to be a challenge for California. The delegates will discuss barriers that impact the practice medicine in California and will analyze various strategies and policies that will promote solutions to address the physician workforce problem.

Mental Health:  For decades, CMA policy has strongly supported adequate funding and provisions for high-quality mental health care. However, despite raised awareness, mental illness continues to go un-recognized and underfunded in California; many people with mental illnesses do not receive the help they need. The delegates will discuss significant factors affecting the mental health system including access and infrastructure, and will consider policies to support and improve the mental health system.