Dustin Corcoran, vice of president of government relations at the California Medical Association, provided a 2006 legislative update to local physicians on March 1 at Davina Cucina Ristorante in Montrose.

Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Medical Association Government Relations Department, the event focused on explaining CMA-sponsored bills and reviewing current health policies that impact physicians. Doctors from Districts 2, 4 and 17 were in attendance, including Boris Bagdasarian, DO, president of District 4 and Ilena Blicker, MD, former LACMA president and current board member.

Corcoran revealed that physician-assisted suicide, HMO reform and scope-of-practice bills are the key battleground issues for the CMA in 2006.

"The physician-assisted suicide bill failed in 2005, but it has been reintroduced this year," Corcoran says. "So it will be considered, and it will be very contentious. I expect it to be a close vote both in the Senate and the Assembly. The CMA continues to oppose that bill, and we will continue to fight that bill in Sacramento."

The CMA will sponsor an HMO reform bill designed to even the playing field between nonprofit and for-profit health plans. The bill will require for-profit plans to include all forms of profit within their administrative costs. The limits on administrative costs are set by regulation at 15 percent of gross premium revenues. Under the bill, nonprofit and for-profit plans will have to abide by the same set of accounting rules.

Corcoran says the CMA will lobby vigorously against two reintroduced scope-of-practice bills this year. The association is challenging AB 1256, which allows chiropractors to perform medical examinations for school bus drivers' license issuance and renewal, and SB 438, which allows oral and maxillofacial surgeons to conduct facial cosmetic surgery procedures. CMA leaders and members believe only physicians should be allowed to perform these exams and procedures, he says.

Finally, Corcoran celebrated the CMA's early 2006 victories, including the passage of SB 912, which reversed the 5 percent Medi-Cal cut in physician payments implemented on Jan. 1.

"Now that we have eliminated the Medi-Cal cuts, we are going to ask for an increase," Corcoran says. "We have not yet come up with a final number as far as what we are asking for. We remain 50th in the nation, and we certainly would like to see ourselves higher."

Physicians in attendance understood Corcoran's message about the importance of being educated on healthcare bills and building relationships with legislators.

"Since this is an election year, it is important to get to know your legislators now while they are running," Dr. Blicker says. "If you build a relationship with them and show up at their fundraisers, you will have a better chance of having their ear. Then when the legislators get to Sacramento, they will be much more willing to talk to you and make your voice heard in the Legislature."