By Wesley G. Bradford, MD, MPH
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of CAFP’s Lobby Day participants, Key Contacts, Government Relations team and the massive effort by our residency programs to send letters, make phone calls and host legislators at their programs, CAFP secured a historic appropriation of General Fund money into the Song-Brown Workforce Training Program – $100 million over a period of six years.
Governor Jerry Brown signed the 2016-17 State Budget last month and our coalition, which included the California Medical Association and the California Primary Care Association, successfully negotiated with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), legislative budget staff, the Department of Finance and the Governor’s office to invest General Fund money in Song-Brown for the first time in a decade and in an amount not seen in California’s history.
For those unfamiliar with Song-Brown, it is a state-run program that administers grants to primary care residency programs that demonstrate a commitment to recruiting diverse, culturally competent physicians from underrepresented minority groups, provide care to a high uninsured, underinsured or Medi-Cal population, and place graduates in areas of unmet need. The $100 million appropriation will be transferred to Song-Brown over a period of three years (roughly $32 million a year). It will backfill the tens of millions of dollars in cuts facing primary care residency programs over the next several years, as well as provide new funding to increase California’s primary care physician supply. The total appropriation is required to be completely disbursed by OSHPD before June 30, 2022.
The $100 million is intended to be allocated as follows:
- $60 million to support existing primary care residency programs.
- $17 million to support existing Teaching Health Center (THC) primary care residency programs.
- $10 million to expand primary care residency slots at existing residency programs.
- $10 million to support the creation of new primary care physician residency programs.
- $2 million to support increased OSHPD staffing and administration.
- $1 million to augment the State Loan Repayment Program.
All physicians with a DEA number should have registered with the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) by July 1. Proposed legislation would require physicians to check the system for each new patient, with additional checks at least once quarterly. For problems with the new system, contact the California Department of Justice CURES Help Desk at 916-227-3843. Registration and troubleshooting FAQ are at the DOJ website.
CMS’s proposed 2017 Medicare fee schedule would increase family physicians’ allowed charges by 3 percent. Several eligible codes would be added, for telehealth services, advanced care planning, and critical care consultations. Administration and billing for Chronic Care Management (CCM) for complex conditions would be simplified.
Prop 56, the CAFP-supported Tobacco Tax Initiative, would increase the tobacco tax by $2/pack, to reduce smoking rates, improve public health, and generate revenue to raise Medi-Cal payment rates to Medicare levels and support primary care and emergency medicine residency programs. Expect big spending from the tobacco industry against it.
BetterDoctor is a company hired by health plans to help them comply with SB 137, a new law requiring health plans to ensure that their physician directories are accurate and up-to-date. You may be contacted and we urge you to work with them as lack of physician action can incur delays in claims payment.
The “End-of-Life Option” Act is in effect, allowing a physician (with safeguards) to prescribe life-shortening medication to a requesting patient for end-of-life discomfort. CAFP has a webinar to help improve advanced care planning and conversations between physicians and patients and their families.
