To increase funding for uncompensated emergency medical services, the Legislature passed and the governor approved SB 1773 in 2006. The law gives California counties the option of increasing vehicle fines to pay for uncompensated emergency room care through the Emergency Medical Services Fund Program.

As a result, the Orange County Medical Association has been lobbying the Orange County Board of Supervisors to approve this increase in funding. For the current fiscal year, it is anticipated that the increased revenue would total approximately $1.75 million. The physician portion amounts to almost $863,000, an increase of 9 percent of total EMSF monies.

The OCMA, with assistance from the Society of Orange County Emergency Physicians and the Hospital Association of Southern California, worked diligently to convince the board of the need for the increased funding. Unfortunately, a few supervisors were opposed to the idea of raising vehicle fines because they saw it as a tax increase and/or they did not see the correlation between vehicle fines and emergency room encounters.

Throughout its efforts to secure approval for additional funds, the OCMA contended with termed-out supervisors, a vacancy on the board and the education of new members. This was not an easy task.

However, doctors and hospitals were able to convince the board about the need for increased funding to keep our emergency departments viable and operating.

Eventually, the board decided not to raise vehicle fines; instead, it considered the use of county general funds to provide a boost in funding to the EMSF Program. Because this was a change in the 2007 county budget, a four-fifths vote was required. Since there were only four board members at the time, all four had to be in support.

Due to the dedicated lobbying efforts of the OCMA, SOCEP and HASC, the Orange County Board of Sup-ervisors voted unanimously on March 6 to approve $1.75 million from the county general fund for emergency services. As a result, more uncompensated claims will be paid and the healthcare safety net provided by the EMSF Program is a little stronger.

Thank you to Supervisors Campbell, Bates, Moorlach and Norby, for listening to the needs of physicians, hospitals and patients, and for finding a way to provide this important funding.

The funding boost for emergency medicine is just another example of the OCMA at work on behalf of all Orange County physicians and is another reason why you should join if you haven't already. We are only as effective as the resources our members provide us.

Perry Cain is the director of public affairs and communications for the Orange County Medical Association. He can be reached at 714/978-1160 or pcain@ocma.org.