On Apr. 15, 34 San Bernardino County Medical Society
members--including 19 medical students, whose registration fees were sponsored by our active and retired members--attended the California Medical Association's annual Legislative Leadership Conference in Sacramento.

Keynote speaker Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner told CMA members that unlike any other state, the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance currently share responsibility for overseeing the industry, with authority over different types of health plans. Although no legislation has been introduced to alter the dual regulation of health insurers, he said that one regulator should have authority over the industry.

Our group then donned white coats and joined physicians from throughout the state to march from the convention center to the Capitol in protest of the devastating 10-percent Medi-Cal rate cuts.

In addition to the march to the Capitol, we were fortunate this year to meet with many of our elected officials in the State Assembly and Senate to discuss important health policy issues that affect the practice of medicine in California. We held meetings with Assemblywomen Sharon Runner and Wilmer Amina Carter, Assemblymen Bill Maze and Anthony Adams, and Sens. George Runner and Gloria Negrete-McLeod. We also met with the staff of Sens. Bob Margett, Robert Dutton and Roy Ashburn, and Assemblymembers Bob Huff, Nell Soto, William Emmerson and Paul J. Cook. Rodney Willard, MD, took a group of students to meet with Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi, a graduate of Loma Linda University.

The major issues we discussed with our legislators were:

-The 10-percent Medi-Cal rate reduction.
-SB 1379 (Ducheny), a CMA-supported bill closing a loophole in current law that rewards insurers for breaking the law by allowing DMHC fines and penalty assessments to offset the fees they pay to support the agency. This bill would instead use these to fund the Steven M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program getting doctors into underserved communities.
- SB 1406 (Correa), a CMA-opposed bill that would dramatically expand the scope of practice for optometrists in California.
- AB 1945 (De La Torre), a CMA-supported bill intended to stop the unscrupulous HMO practice of dumping policy holders after their policy has been approved.

The fact that so many legislators accepted our invitation to meet is very encouraging and reveals just how important our influence is to them. Our mission as physician advocates is to keep legislators aware of how proposed legislation could enhance or threaten patients' health or physicians' ability to practice medicine. These one-on-one meetings are invaluable and serve to strengthen our ongoing relationship with our representatives in Sacramento.