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August 25, 2026
News and Resources for Physicians and their staff in Kern County
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Please take the KCMS Event Attendance Insight Survey now!
Your input is needed. Please take our brief event attendance insights survey!
KCMS is reviewing how we manage RSVPs and attendance for socials, educational programs, and other member events. Historically, KCMS experiences no-show rates ranging from 25%–65%, making it challenging to accurately plan for food, materials, and event costs.
We hope to gain a better understand why members are unable to attend after registering and whether a simple reconfirmation process before events could help KCMS obtain a more accurate headcount and reduce unnecessary costs, while ensuring we have sufficient accommodations for attendees.
Please take our survey by September 4, 2026!
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2027 KCMS Elections: Call for Nominations Now Open
Active residents and regular members — please check your email!
The KCMS election process is underway, and the Call for Nominations is now open through September 3, 2026.
Eligible members who are interested in serving in a leadership role with Kern County Medical Society or District VI Delegation are encouraged to review the election information sent to their email and consider submitting their nomination.
Serving on the KCMS Board is an opportunity to help shape the future of our organization, and serving as a CMA Delegate or Alternate Delegate allows you to advocate for physicians and patients in Kern County, contributing to the medical community. We still have one CMA Alternate Delegate role with no nominations. Please consider serving, or nominating a qualified colleague.
Please check your inbox for the KCMS Election Call for Nominations and review the instructions and eligibility requirements. If you do not see the email, be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
Your involvement matters. Consider putting your name forward and helping lead KCMS into the future!
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Fewer Than One in Five Bakersfield Bus Stops Have Shade
KCMS members are invited to sign a letter to the Bakersfield City Council and the Golden Empire Transit Board.
By Justin Mokri, Bakersfield Christian High School Student
August 2026
Golden Empire Transit operates roughly 1,045 stops in the Bakersfield area. Fewer than 17 percent have any shade, and the stops with the least shade are concentrated in the neighborhoods with the highest heat exposure and the highest rates of transit dependence. The KCMS Board of Directors voted unanimously this month to support a proposed city shade standard at highridership stops, and Kern County physicians are invited to add their names to a sign-on letter to the Bakersfield City Council and the GET Board. Adding your name takes about a minute.
California already treats shade as a heat-protection measure. Under Cal/OSHA's heat illness prevention standard, employers must make shade available to outdoor workers once the temperature passes 80 degrees. A Bakersfield resident who works outdoors is entitled to shade on the job site and has no claim to it at the stop where they wait for the bus that takes them there, at the same hour, in the same heat. The people waiting are largely people without another option. Riders skew toward older adults, people with disabilities, households without a vehicle, and patients traveling to recurring appointments. Their exposure is not discretionary. Someone going to dialysis three times a week cannot move the trip to a cooler hour, and the wait is not short. Off-peak headways on much of the GET system run 30 to 60 minutes
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
JOIN THE EFFORT AND SIGN THE LETTER TODAY
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AMA clarifies billing for maternity care spanning 2026 and 2027
The American Medical Association (AMA) has provided updated information on how physicians should report maternity care for patients who receive antepartum services in both 2026 and 2027. During a recent call with AMA, staff provided clarifying information that is particularly important for practices beginning care for patients whose pregnancies will continue beyond Jan. 1, when the redesigned maternity care CPT code structure takes effect.
Although those patients will receive care under both coding structures, the new codes and reporting guidelines must not be used for services provided during 2026. Instead, practices should report antepartum care separately for each calendar year using the codes and guidelines in effect when the services were provided. More...
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Federal appeals court strikes down rules that allowed insurers to deflate No Surprises Act payment benchmark
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has struck down key federal rules governing how insurers calculate the qualifying payment amount (QPA) used in out-of-network payment disputes under the No Surprises Act.
The Aug. 11 ruling marks a significant victory for the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and other physician plaintiffs in TMA III, the third in a series of four lawsuits challenging federal regulations that skew the law’s independent dispute resolution process in favor of health plans. The California Medical Association (CMA) supported the challenge through an amicus curiae brief filed with the Physicians Advocacy Institute, the American Medical Association, other state medical associations and national specialty societies, urging the court to strike down the challenged rule. More...
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Deadline approaching to file complaints over older unpaid COVID-19 claims
Physician practices with unresolved payment disputes involving older COVID-19 testing, immunization or related service claims should submit eligible complaints to the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) before the end of the year.
These claims are subject to California Medical Association (CMA)-sponsored Senate Bill 510, which requires health plans and insurers to reimburse physicians and other providers for specified COVID-19 testing, immunization and related services. More...
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CMA-sponsored bill to address rise in e-bike injuries heads to Governor’s desk
The California state legislature has passed Assembly Bill 2346, a critical piece of legislation sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA) aimed at modernizing e-bike safety laws and protecting children. The bill, authored by Assemblymembers Lori Wilson and Marc Berman, advanced out of the state legislature today and now heads to the Governor's desk for a final signature. More...
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CMA-sponsored prior authorization reform bill advances from Senate Appropriations Committee
Assembly Bill 539, a prior authorization reform measure sponsored by the California Medical Association (CMA), recently reached a critical milestone by advancing out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation aims to reduce administrative roadblocks and prevent unnecessary delays in patient care by preserving the validity of prior authorization approvals and curbing the need for physicians to repeatedly seek approvals for care. More...
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CMA statement on Trump executive order on childhood vaccines
In response to President Donald Trump's Executive Order on childhood vaccine recommendations, California Medical Association (CMA) President René Bravo, M.D., issued the following statement:
"I have spent 40 years as a pediatrician reassuring parents that vaccines are safe. No medical intervention is perfect, but childhood vaccines are among the most thoroughly studied and closely monitored tools we have to protect children from serious and sometimes deadly diseases..." More...
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What doctors want patients to know about mosquito bites
AT A GLANCE: Mosquito bites are often known as a seasonal annoyance, but they can trigger reactions ranging from mild itching to serious allergic responses, and in many parts of the world, transmit life-threatening diseases. Here are key things you will learn about mosquito bites from Donald Lei, MD, MS, a dermatologist at Rush University System for Health, in this article:
- Mosquito bites itch because of an inflammatory response to proteins in mosquito saliva. Only female mosquitoes bite humans. Male mosquitoes feed on plant nectar.
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Reactions from mosquito bites can range from a small, raised bump to a condition called Skeeter syndrome, which involves extensive swelling, redness and sometimes fever. More...
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CAD Fundamentals: What Test Should I Order to Evaluate My Patient with Chest Pain
Seven Oaks. Country Club
Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 6:30 PM PDT
RSVP: aagg@aaggarwalclinic.com
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Free Webinar: The Insurance Coverage Gaps Putting Physicians at Risk
Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
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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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