Monday Rx | April 16th, 2018 | A Big Week Ahead April 19, 2018 Monday RX 1011 Fighting a Dangerous Piece of Legislation This week is one of the most crucial weeks for physicians thanks to one bad piece of state legislation. Assembly Bill 3087 is sponsored by Ash Kalra (San Jose) which would create a government commission to set the prices a physician, physician group, hospital or health plan can charge. AB 3087 would jeopardize the historic health coverage and access gains made in California since the Affordable Care Act. Not a single state in the US has ever attempted such an unproven policy of inflexible, the government managed price caps across every healthcare service. In other words, if passed, California would be the only state to implement government sanctioned rationing of care. California Medical Association's (CMA) President, Theodore M. Mazer stated: "It threatens to reverse the historic gains for health coverage and access made in California since the passage of the Affordable Care Act." AB 3087 would reduce access in most California counties and rural areas by driving physicians and their practices out of state or into retirement. AB 3087 is a poorly conceived, unprecedented threat to patient access to health care that goes against the Assembly's own expert recommendations on how to achieve universal access. AB 3087 would cause an exodus of practicing physicians, which would exacerbate our physician shortage and make California unattractive to new physician recruits," said Dr. Mazer. The fundamental goal this week in Sacramento is to demand the Legislature reject the bill. Many LACMA physician leaders will be visiting legislator offices and will provide sound arguments against the bill that attempts to label physicians as the major drivers of ever-increasing healthcare costs. As LACMA President Dr. William Averill stated last week: "AB 3087 is dangerous legislation that would result in an unprecedented government takeover of the healthcare market. What's more, this bill would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients because it does not require plans or insurers to pass on the cost savings to patients or prohibit them from reducing a patient's benefits. Therefore, I OVERWHELMINGLY OPPOSE AB 3087." Join us in opposing AB 3087. Let's come together and create a juggernaut of opposition, of common sense solutions that protect the practice of medicine and improve quality, prevention and care. TAKE ACTION HERE New Opportunities for Physicians As LACMA continues to fight on behalf of physicians, I am pleased to announce several new partnerships to help physicians in private practice, IPAs, groups, and even hospital settings. LACMA and NationalACO, led by Dr. Alex Foxman, have joined forces to deliver a value-based care model that enables participating physicians to generate more revenue, receive bonuses and reimbursements for such things as telemedicine, share in cost savings and much more. NACO's innovations and value-added services enable participating physicians to improve patient care and remain independent. In addition, NACO enables physicians to participate in CMS savings, increase their patient visits and thrive in the risk-sharing population-based payment healthcare market that CMS now requires being implemented over the next few years for Medicare beneficiaries. This is the kind of partnership that physicians can benefit from immediately. LACMA members can take advantage now! To learn more about the partnership and timelines for participation, click here. You may also contact me or Edwin Everette, Vice President of Provider Engagement with NACO: eeverette@nationalacollc.com. We have finalized an agreement with Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA). The ERA is a leader in the best practices of making educated purchasing decisions and the delivery of the most effective, lowest cost, supplier relationships. Now, more than ever, LACMA, through its partnership with ERA, can deliver value for medical practices and help understand suppliers' businesses and provide "insider" knowledge that can be leveraged to structure relationships that take full advantage of the inherently unique attributes and inner workings within healthcare. To learn more, visit http://expensereduction.com/home or contact me directly. Advancing Health Equity In LA County I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and am excited to work with Dr. Ferrer to extend her vision to advance health equity, focusing on five key health issues prioritized by the Center for Health Equity: reducing sexually transmitted infections, reducing disproportionate exposures to hazardous materials, building neighborhood coalitions to guarantee well-being and ensuring cultural humility and linguistic competency. I'd like to hear from members on how they can get involved as well. Learn more here. You are Invited! Los Angeles County Medical Association's Annual Installation of Officers June 21, 2018 Hotel Casa del Mar 1910 Ocean Way Santa Monica, CA 90405 R.S.V.P lisa@lacmanet.org Save the Date Los Angeles County Medical Association's Young Physician's Committee Spring Mixer Friday, May 11, 2018 The Abbey 692 N Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 R.S.V.P lisa@lacmanet.org Community Events CME Programs MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO CANCER SYMPOSIUM WHEN: September 20 to 23, 2018 WHERE: Loews Coronado Bay Resort 4000 Coronado Bay Road Coronado, CA 92118 Click here for more information. This intensive program will provide participants with an enhanced ability to interpret and apply best treatment options to their individual cancer practices. NEOPLASTIC HEMATOPATHOLOGY UPDATE WHEN: November 8 to 10, 2018 WHERE: The Waterfront Beach Resort, A Hilton Hotel 21100 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Click here for more information. Join experts for this exclusive interactive conference. This is a unique opportunity for up-close learning and discussion with experts in the treatment of neoplastic hematopathology. For questions contact: cme@coh.org or 626-218-5622. Thank you! Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association "If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me."