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January 20, 2025
News and Resources for Physicians and their staff in Kern County
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KCMS Celebrated Another Year with Our Amazing Physicians at our Annual Meeting | |
Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD, CMA President with Soham Shah, MD, 2025 President spoke to our local physicians regarding CMA's 2025 focus and goals. | Paula Ardon, MD shares some words of wisdom as she accepts the Outstanding Physician award. | Sarabjit Purewal, MD is awarded the Outstanding Physician award presented by Eric Peck, MD, 2025 President-Elect and Nadeem Goraya, MD, 2025 Secretary-Treasurer | |
Our Annual Meeting, Installation and Awards was a great success! We celebrated our outgoing President, Chang Na, MD, our incoming President, Soham Shah, MD and installed our 2025 Board of Directors.
We also presented Paula Ardon, MD and Sarabjit Purewal, MD with our Outstanding Physician Award and heard from CMA President, Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD!
Thank you so much to our sponsors who made our Annual Meeting, Installation and Awards possible: The Cooperative of American Physicians.
| To see more event photos, visit our social media pages! We just added an Instagram and LinkedIn page so visit and follow us while you are there! Click on the icons at the bottom of the newsletter to access. |
Thank you to our business partners | |
KCMS installed the 2025 Board of Directors. From left to right: Nadeem Goyaya, MD, Soham Shah, MD, Anila Chadha, MD, Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD- CMA President, Rahila Andrews-Steele, MD, Erick Peck, MD, Benjamin Ha, MD, and Chirag Mathukia, MD | |
Help physicians affected by the wildfires: Donate to the PHC Disaster Relief Fund.
The active wildfires in Southern California have destroyed thousands of homes, structures and medical practices, as well as displaced thousands of people, including your physician colleagues. More...
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CMA publishes guide for patients and physicians impacted by Southern California wildfires
As of January 14, 2025, the wildfires raging across Southern California have destroyed more than 15,000 structures, including thousands of homes, businesses and medical practices. Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires to help facilitate the response and recovery. Under state law, health plans and insurers operating in counties affected by an official state of emergency are required to act quickly to ensure patients in areas affected by wildfires and other disasters have continued access to care. More...
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FAQ: What is the status of the 2024 and 2025 Medi-Cal rate increases?
In November 2024, Californians voted resoundingly for Proposition 35, which secures dedicated funding to expand and protect access to health care for the millions of Californians who depend on Medi-Cal. Prop 35 provides ongoing funding for the largest Medi-Cal provider rate increases in history.
While the more limited 2024 Medi-Cal targeted rate increases went into effect on January 1, 2024, it took all of 2024 for that funding to be paid out retroactively... More...
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CMA Statement on the Governor’s Proposed Budget
California Medical Association (CMA) President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., issued the following statement in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed 2025-26 budget, "As we look ahead to the upcoming year and review the state’s proposed budget, we commend Governor Gavin Newsom for his steadfast leadership in safeguarding California's health care programs. In a time of unprecedented volatility and fiscal uncertainty, Governor Newsom has continued to prioritize the well-being of Californians, ensuring that critical health care services remain intact and accessible to those who need them most. More...
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AMA statement on United Health vow to ease prior authorization
“It’s good news that UnitedHealth Group is finally looking for ways to simplify and accelerate their prior authorization process. But seven years after a consensus statement (PDF) in which the insurance industry agreed to key reforms to improve this onerous process—and with the burden and outcomes only worsening—patients, physicians and policymakers are looking for specifics and meaningful, impactful changes that will break down unnecessary roadblocks and keep medical decisions between patients and physicians. More...
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Medicare Advantage programs receive boost while physicians wait
“CMS has announced that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are expected to receive an average payment increase of 4.33% from 2025 to 2026. Meanwhile, physicians treating Medicare patients are facing their fifth consecutive year of payment cuts — this time by 2.8% — despite practice costs rising by 3.5% according to the Medicare Economic Index.
“So, while MA plans receive an increase beyond the expected health care inflation rate, Congress not only failed to provide a physician payment update but allowed a new round of cuts at the end of the lame duck. More...
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CMA Publishes 2024 Legislative Wrap Up ICYMI
California Medical Association (CMA) Senior Vice President and Chief Lobbyist Stuart Thompson has published CMA’s annual Legislative Wrap-Up – Fighting for Physicians on All Fronts – providing an inside look at what went down the 2024 legislative session.
The wrap up highlights CMA’s accomplishments and achievements and showcases CMA’s ability to advocate for the physicians and patients of California. This year four of CMA’s priority bills made it to the governor’s desk and all four were signed. CMA was also at the forefront of key legislative battles, ensuring that many bills that would have negatively impacted patients and the practice of medicine would not move forward through the legislative process.
For more information on CMA’s many successes and the numerous bills CMA followed this session, see CMA’s 2024 Legislative Wrap Up here.
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Looking for upcoming events & webinars?
Due to the number of upcoming events & webinars available, we send information for them in a separate email. See our last email:
Upcoming Events & Webinars
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