California Assemblyman Curren Price came out to the Los Angeles County Medical Association for a Jan. 21 reception that introduced him to politically active doctors and some of their concerns. Price, whose district includes Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, and Compton, is considered to be an ally to doctors on many medical issues, including defense of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act.

Political action committees associated with the California Medical Association and the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons sponsored the event, while PACs associated with LACMA, the California Psychiatric Association and the California Society for Anesthesiologists acted as co-sponsors.

"I'm certainly sensitive to issues and concerns of the medical community," Price told Southern California Physician. His district, which he originally served for about a decade as an Inglewood City Council member, includes several hospitals and clinics, including the failed Martin Luther King-Harbor Hospital, he says.

Asked who he would like to see running MLK-Harbor, Price says, "Whether or not the county contracts it out to someone to run, or if they do it themselves, I'm just hoping for the best way of delivering services."

On state healthcare reform, Price favored the failed bill championed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "It didn't provide everything everybody wanted, but it was a start," he says. "I was disappointed that it was defeated in the Senate, and I'm open to any new proposals."

Concerning the huge 2008 state budget deficit, Price says he's looking closely for a way to soften the impact that associated Medi-Cal cuts will bring, noting that the program impacts many of his constituents.

LACMA members spoke with Price about several other issues for 2008, such as anesthesiologists' concerns about balance billing and ophthalmologists' concerns about the California Optometric Association's expected push to expand their scope of practice.