New York and California Chapters Influence State Health Policy
ACS members made progress last month in advocating for bleeding control kits and insurance coverage for chest wall reconstruction after mastectomy.
The California ACS Chapters (Northern California, San Diego-Imperial, and Southern California) met in-person for the first time in 3 years in Sacramento on April 19. The chapters voiced their support for legislation, AB 2260, that calls for installation of bleeding control kits in buildings and public places, following the model of making automated external defibrillators accessible to the public.
In addition to individual meetings with lawmakers and providing STOP THE BLEED® training for the legislators and their staff, Amy Liepert, MD, FACS, and Thomas Duncan, DO, FACS, testified on AB 2260 before the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which unanimously approved the bill.
The ACS New York Chapter organized a virtual advocacy day with state legislators and staff on April 26, which garnered participation from surgeons across the state. Their efforts included:
- Advocating for state legislation that would establish a “gold card” prior authorization program, in which insurers will exempt physicians and other care providers from Prior Authorization requirements if they receive at least 90% approval for prior authorizations for that specific health care treatment (Senate Bill [SB] 8299/AB 9908A)
- Creating a separate process for more timely prior authorizations (SB 6435A/AB 7129A)
- Training school personnel on STOP THE BLEED® and installing bleeding control kits in public schools (AB 6462)
- Requiring insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings for individuals aged 45 or older (SB 906B/AB 2085A)
- Requiring insurance coverage for chest wall reconstruction after mastectomy in patients with breast cancer (SB 7881/AB 8537)
As a result of those meetings, the New York Assembly Insurance Committee passed the chest wall reconstruction legislation the following day. The bill is expected to move to the Assembly floor for a full vote before the end of the year.
Want to get involved in state advocacy? The ACS State Affairs team can help with letters, testimony, and grassroots support for members and ACS state chapters to engage on issues important to their states. For more information contact Christopher Johnson at cjohnson@facs.org or Rebecca King at rebeccaking@facs.org.
‘Historic’ Compromise on Medical Liability Heads to Vote in California Senate
The California Senate is scheduled to vote today on a compromise measure related to caps on medical liability awards.
The Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP) coalition, which represents physicians, healthcare providers, and facilities, supports caps on medical liability awards; trial lawyers supported uncapped awards. The two sides recently reached what CAPP called a “historic” compromise on new provisions that would have created an uncapped category in the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA).
Currently, MICRA limits recovery of noneconomic damages to $250,000. Under the compromise, outlined in AB 35, limits would increase for nondeath cases to $350,000 and wrongful death to $500,000 starting in 2023, followed by incremental increases until they reach $750,000 and $1 million, respectively, in 2034. Afterward, the limits would adjust 2% annually in perpetuity.
The deal to withdraw the current ballot initiative is contingent upon the legislature passing AB 35 by June 30.
