The California Medical Association (CMA) works tirelessly on behalf of its nearly 50,000 members to support physician-led advocacy from legislation and policy-making to regulatory and legal affairs to practice management and reimbursement assistance.

In 2019, CMA won key victories to improve public health, expand access to care, remove administrative burdens and ensure physicians are fairly compensated for the work they do. We will build on these victories in the new year to ensure California’s physicians have a strong voice in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., and that we can transform our state’s health care system into a model for the entire nation.

CMA's top 10 highlights for 2019

1. Led the fight to pass SB 276, which cracks down on fraudulent medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations.
2. Sponsored AB 744, which revamps the rules regarding telehealth services to increase access to care and ensure physicians are fairly compensated for telehealth services.
3. Secured $2.2 billion in provider rate increases through the Proposition 56 tobacco tax.
4. CalMedForce awarded $76 million in tobacco tax revenues to fund more than 300 physician residents across the state.
5. Announced the first ever CalHealthCares awards, which will pay off $67 million in student loans for 240 physicians and 38 dentists who commit to see more Medi-Cal patients.
6. Continued to grow membership to record levels, representing 46,000 California physicians at year end.
7. Recouped more than $1.3 million from payors on behalf of CMA’s physician members.
8. Fought legal battles to ensure access to women’s health care and for care for immigrants and transgender patients.
9. Secured passage of new federal regulations that strengthen enforcement of EHR interoperability to allow health providers to better share medical information.
10. Supported a state-level individual mandate to strengthen the Affordable Care Act in California.

For more information, see CMA's 2019 Annual Report.