NYCU October 14, 2025 October 14, 2025 Advocacy, CAHAN Alerts, Champions for Health, CMA, CMA Benefits, ICD-10, Infectious Disease, Medi-Cal, Medical Malpractice/Litigation, Prior Authorization, Public Health, SDCMS, Trump Administration 0 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025 PHYSICIANS: A couple of weeks ago, Dr. William Tseng joined Senator Adam Schiff and Congressman Mike Levin in a press conference calling on Congress to reinstate premium assistance for ACA health plans. You can read more about this important press conference HERE Senator Schiff’s staff asked for help collecting patient stories, particularly related to the increased cost of ACA premiums, but they are also interested in broader healthcare stories that are compelling. If you have any patients willing to share their stories, please forward them to me at hegyi@sdcms.org and to Kevin Spillane at kevinjspillane@gmail.com, and we will share them with the Senator’s office. IMPORTANT CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION–SPONSORED LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 306, a CMA–sponsored bill, which delivers critical reforms to the prior authorization process. The new law eliminates duplicative approval requirements and introduces new transparency measures that will help ensure patients receive care without unnecessary red tape. Prior authorization, which forces physicians to obtain health plan approval before treating patients, has long been criticized for delaying care and creating avoidable administrative hurdles. SB 306 directly addresses these issues by empowering regulators to waive prior authorization for services that are almost always approved and requiring health plans to publish data that shines a light on approval patterns. Governor Newsom signed another CMA–sponsored bill, Senate Bill 351, legislation that addresses the growing influence of private equity and hedge funds in health care delivery. SB 351 strengthens California’s existing ban on the corporate practice of medicine by empowering the Attorney General to take action against corporate entities that interfere with the practice of medicine — ensuring that care decisions are determined by physicians and patients, not financial interests. You can learn more about CMA’s legislative track record and significant legislation impacting health care in the November/December issue of San Diego Physician Magazine. CONSIDER PARTICIPATING IN THE PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (PLP) I’d like to invite you to consider participating in the Physician Leadership Program (PLP), put on for nearly a decade by our sister–society Alameda–Contra Costa Medical Association. Now with a Southern California cohort, PLP equips physicians with essential leadership skills, bridging clinical expertise with organizational competencies such as strategic communication, people management, and cross–functional collaboration. This hybrid program, worth 22.75 CME, has received praise for balance of theory and practical application, with 88% of participants giving a very satisfied rating. Sessions include Principals of Leadership and Leading Change, Negotiation, Leading and Managing Projects, among others. Learn more about the Physician Leadership Program HERE. ENJOY A ‘DAY AT THE RACES’ ON NOVEMBER 21ST AT THE DEL MAR THOROUGHBRED CLUB TO SUPPORT CHAMPIONS FOR HEALTH Join us for Champions for Health’s Day at the Races at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in the Crosby Celebrity Suite. Enjoy an exclusive afternoon of exciting horse racing, delicious food, and refreshing drinks while supporting vital healthcare programs for San Diego’s underserved communities. It’s from 12:00 to 4:00 pm on Friday, November 21st at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The first race is at 12:30 pm. Come and have fun while doing good to help provide health care access to our County’s most needy patients. You can buy tickets HERE. For sponsorship information, please contact Gabriela Stichler at gabriela.stichler@championsfh.org or at (858) 300–2789. As always, let me know if you have any questions! Paul Hegyi, CEO WHAT TO KNOW … CAHAN ALERT Health Advisory: Updates to Fall 2025 Respiratory Virus Vaccine Recommendations in California CLICK HERE Physicians Face Medicare Telehealth Woes Amid Federal Government Shutdown CLICK HERE New California Law Expands Newsom’s Mental Health Court. Will It Help More People? ? CLICK HERE ‘Guilty Until Proven Innocent’: Inside the Fight Between Doctors and Insurance Companies Over ‘Downcoding’ CLICK HERE Trump Fires Federal Employees, Reverses Course on CDC Staff CLICK HERE HHS Workers Hit by Trump Administration Layoffs CLICK HERE GOP Senators Urge RFK Jr. to Crack Down on Medication Abortion CLICK HERE ‘Never Seen Before’: Why are California Hospitals Taking a Hit? CLICK HERE Doctors and Nurses are Punched, Choked, Even Shot. States Want to Stop That CLICK HERE WHAT TO DO … OCT 17, 2025: 11am–4pm, JW Marriott @ LA Live, Los Angeles, Sponsored by CMA’s Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS), ‘Annual Assembly and Education Conference’, immediately preceding 2025 CMA House of Delegates. Open to all physicians and medical staff professionals concerned about the role of strong self–governing medical staffs in improving patient care and safety. Attendees will learn about topics of importance regarding the growth and development of medical staffs. $75 for Members, $100 for Members of CA Assoc of Medical Staff Services, $150 for Guests or Non–Members CLICK HERE OCT 25, 2025: 8am, Tecolote Shores South Mission Bay, sponsored by Head for the Cure Foundation, ‘2nd Annual Head for the Cure 5K Run/Walk San Diego’. To raise awareness and funds for brain tumor research. Join or contribute to the effort by visiting the Team Dave! UCSD page created in honor of the late Dr. David Bazzo, former SDCMS President. Please support this worthwhile cause in Dr. Bazzo’s memory. For full details about the event CLICK HERE OCT 28, 2025: 12-1pm, FREE Webinar for Members, Non–Members, NPs, and PAs, sponsored by CMA and CDPH, ‘Virtual Grand Rounds: The Evolving State of Public Health — Vaccines, Advisory Groups & Other Emerging Issues’. Over the past several months, we have seen unprecedented changes in public health leadership at federal entities like the CDC and advisory boards making national policy recommendations about vaccinations, preventive health services and newborn screening, among others. Join Erica Pan, MD, MPH, CA State Public Health Officer & Director of CDPH, alongside Rita Nguyen, MD, Asst. Public Health Officer of Population Health for CDPH for a candid conversation about these federal changes and for California recommendations. CME credit available CLICK HERE NOV 13, 2025: 12:15-1:15pm, FREE Webinar for Members and their Staff, $99 for Non–Members, sponsored by CMA, ‘2026 ICD–10 Coding Updates’. Learn about 2026 changes to ICD–10 guidelines and codes, including 487 new codes, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. The chapters that will see the most new codes are Pain Management, Signs and Symptoms, Neurodevelopment Disorders, Financial Insecurity (SDOH), plus Chapters 12 and 19. For free CMA member staff registration, email events@cmadocs.org with your physician’s CA Medical License number to receive a promo code CLICK HERE NOV 18, 2025: 6-7pm, FREE Webinar for Members and Non–Members, sponsored by TDC and SDCMS, ‘Understanding the Anatomy of a Lawsuit’. This webinar outlines and discusses the course that a medical malpractice lawsuit takes when filed against a physician in California. Walk through the physician’s receipt of a Notice of Intent to Sue and explore the litigation process, looking at what elements a Plaintiff must prove in order to prevail and how a defense would be built for the Defendant physician. We’ll also provide several proactive steps physicians can take in their own practice to be prepared if ever involved in a suit. CME credit available CLICK HERE NOV 20, 2025: 12:15-1:15pm, FREE Webinar for Members and their Staff, sponsored by CMA, ‘Navigating the MultiPlan Litigation — What Physician Practices and Facilities Need to Know’. A sweeping federal antitrust lawsuit is moving forward against MultiPlan, Inc. and several major insurers including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth and Blue Cross Blue Shield, alleging a price–fixing conspiracy that artificially suppressed out–of–network payment rates and cost providers billions of dollars. Following a key court ruling in June the case is headed into discovery, with potential damages tripled under federal law for successful claims. Matt Lavin, AGG Healthcare Litigation partner and member of the Executive Committee for direct–action plaintiffs will walk through the litigation’s origins, key legal developments and strategies for affected providers to consider, plus why now is a critical time to evaluate participation in the case to protect your rights and support industry reform. An open and confidential discussion will be encouraged during Q&A. For free CMA member staff registration, email events@cmadocs.org with your physician’s CA Medical License number to receive a promo code CLICK HERE NOV 21, 2025: 12-4:30pm, Del Mar Racing, Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar. Join Champions for Health at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for ‘A Day at the Races’. Enjoy an exclusive afternoon of exciting horse racing, delicious food and refreshing drinks while supporting vital healthcare programs for San Diego’s underserved communities CLICK HERE APR 6, 2026: 8am, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, hosted by CMA, ‘52nd Annual Legislative Advocacy Day’. California Medical Association consistently brings together more than 400 physician and medical student leaders from all specialties and modes of practice. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with legislators on priority health care issues. Gain hands–on experience while learning the nuts and bolts of advocating for both your patients and your profession CLICK HERE WHAT TO READ, LISTEN & WATCH … Podcast ‘What the Health?’ Starting to Feel the Shutdown’s Bite LISTEN HERE Alzheimer’s Project Clinical Roundtable Free On–Demand CME Webinar Series on Dementia WATCH HERE Champions for Health & TDC’s Free On–Demand CME Webinar Series ‘Innovations and Smart Approaches in Safe Prescibing’ to Help Fulfill DEA Training Requirements (Modules 1–5) WATCH HERE SDCMS Video Archive: View our FREE digital catalog of videos & webinars WATCH HERE SDCMS Webinar: Are You Aware and Prepared for New California Laws? WATCH HERE SDCMS Webinar: Managing the Noncompliant and Nonadherent Patient WATCH HERE SDCMS Webinar: Physician Financial Wellness (Part 1) WATCH HERE SDCMS Webinar: Physician Financial Wellness (Part 2) WATCH HERE SDCMS Webinar: Will Your Documentation Defend You? WATCH HERE Please Consider Supporting Our Advertisers … Thank You! 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