The Legislative Hot List Has Been Updated

View it online at http://www.cmanet.org/news/hotlist.asp.
CMA's Legislative Hot List provides a summary and current status of CMA-sponsored bills, as well as the progress of other significant legislation followed by CMA's Center for Government Relations. The hot list represents only a small sampling of the hundreds bills CMA is following this year. For the current status or more information on a specific bill, please contact the appropriate lobbyist identified at the end of each bill summary by e-mail or by calling CMA's Center for Government Relations at 916/444-5532.
View the Hot List

Status Updates

These bills have had a status change in the past week or have an upcoming hearing.
CMA Sponsored Bills
AB 214 (Fuentes) Physician Health Program
This bill will institute the Public Protection and Physician Health Program Act of 2008.  The program will be organized under the Department of Public Health and run by a not for profit entity with a board of directors with representation from the CMA, CSAM, CPA, and CHA.  The program will allow licensed physicians to voluntarily enter a confidential drug, alcohol, and mental illness monitoring and testing program which allows the participant to continue to practice as long as they remain in compliance with program protocols and are not a threat to patients.  The program will have an affirmative duty to report a participant who does not remain within program requirements and becomes a threat to patient safety.  This bill is intended to fill the void left when the MBC eliminated the Physician Diversion Program.
Vetoed by the Governor on 09/30/08.
AB 1945 (De La Torre) Health Care Coverage
This bill would require a health service plan or health insurer to seek and obtain final approval of its regulator prior to rescinding, canceling, or limiting a plan contract or policy, as applicable. The bill would also authorize each regulator, as applicable, to suspend or revoke the license or certificate of a plan or insurer in violation of this prohibition or to assess administrative penalties.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/30/08.
AB 1962 (De La Torre) Maternity Coverage
This bill will ensure fair, affordable access to maternity coverage in health care benefits, regardless of the type of plan offered. This bill will close a loophole exploited by health insurance companies in order to sell cheap, “subprime” non-comprehensive coverage. This bill brings two bodies of law into conformity by requiring all individual and group health insurance policies regulated under the Department of Insurance to cover maternity services, while HMOs regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) are already required to meet these standards.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/30/08.
AB 2440 (Laird) Medi-Cal Procedure Coding
This bill would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to update specific diagnostic codes within 60 days of their publication. It would also require DHCS to publish the updated codes in the Medi-Cal provider bulletin within the same period of time. If DHCS fails to publish the new codes within the 60 day period, providers will be allowed to use the current year codes or use a miscellaneous billing code.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/27/08.
SB 527 (Steinberg) Autism Spectrum Disorders: Screening Pilot Project
This bill will establish a privately funded, voluntary pilot program that would establish best practices to improve early screening, diagnosis, referral, and treatment for children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). AAP California is a co-sponsor of this measure. This bill is part of a package of bills carried by the legislative leadership to address gaps in services for families of children with ASD.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/30/08.
SB 1379 (Ducheny) Steven M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program
This bill would use certain fines and penalties paid by health plans to the Department of Managed Health Care to fund the Steven M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program. The Program provides up to $105,000 in loan repayment to new physicians who agree to serve in an underserved area for at least three years.
Signed by Governor on 09/30/08.

CMA Opposed Bills
SB 840 (Kuehl) Single Payer Health Coverage
This bill is a reintroduction of Senator Kuehl’s legislation to create a single-payer system of health care in California. Specifically, SB 840 creates a single payer purchasing pool and would prohibit most private health insurance from being sold. The new system would be funded by employer fees, individual contributions, and consolidating state and federal funding. An individual could select a primary care provider or enroll in an HMO. The new office of the Health Care Commissioner (HCC) would determine premium costs, provider rates, and program costs, drug pricing and financing mechanism. All Californians residents would be eligible.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/30/08.
SB 981 (Perata) Health CareCoverage
This bill prohibits non-contracted emergency room physicians from seeking the balance of payment due from health plan enrollees, a term known as “balance billing”.  The bill provides an interim payment mechanism of 250% of Medicare rates.  Because Medicare rates are subject to annual budget constraints, such rates could prove to be unstable. The bill also requires the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) to establish an Independent Dispute Resolution Program to be administered by an organization chosen by DMHC.  It also establishes DMHC’s jurisdiction on non-contracting emergency physicians (E.G., imposition of civil penalties on non-contracting emergency physicians for violating the law).  Though SB 981 is specific to emergency room physicians, it has the potential for setting up the framework for future legislation that could be harmful for other providers treating patients in an emergency setting.
Vetoed by Governor on 09/30/08.

Bills of Interest
AB 1900 (Nava) Santa Barbara Trauma Center
This bill will allow Santa Barbra County to continue to collect $5 per every $10 in fines and penalties generated within the county on DUI related offenses for the local Maddy Fund. This bill is necessary to maintain a portion of funding for a local trauma center from a special exception that was created for Santa Barbra County due to the Board of Supervisors electing to fund courthouse renovation instead of emergency care.
Signed by Governor on 09/26/08.