Eight TCMS members laid down their stethoscopes and scalpels on April 24
th in order to fight illness on a very different front. Every year the California Medical Association hosts its Legislative Advocacy Day, where thousands of California-based physicians, residents, and medical students are invited to Sacramento to advocate for their patients and their profession. This year marked the 45
th iteration, and make no mistake – TCMS was there supporting you and the rest of Tulare County’s physician workforce!
The focus was on three specific but high-visibility pieces of legislation (among many healthcare bills heard that day in the legislature’s healthcare committee):
1.
SB 267 – Dr. Richard Pan’s vaccine exemption bill (SB 277) that passed in 2015 has been very successful, however a few bad actors have monetized vaccine exemptions under the new law. Pan’s new law aims to close this gap, suggesting only CDC-specified exemptions should be honored and that vaccine exemptions should be handled at a state health-department level
2.
AB 764 – An assembly bill submitted by Rob Bonta representing the East Bay in District 18 works to prohibit soda companies from subsidizing lower retail costs of sugary sweetened beverages through removing promotional and marketing incentives to distributors
3.
Proposition 56 Budget Request – the CMA physicians were strong in their support for extending the reclaimed “Tobacco Tax” money for another three years (the current budget only provides for one year of increases to healthcare provider reimbursement under a variety of programs)
