August 2026 – Wesley G. Bradford, MD, MPH
MediCal reminder: Medi-Cal will only reimburse prescriptions tied to an enrolled Medi-Cal provider using an individual (Type 1) NPI, with enforcement expected to begin soon. You can confirm your status on the state’s enrolled-provider list and, if not enrolled, apply via the PAVE portal as soon as possible. Processing can take 90–180 days, and incomplete applications may cause delays.
CAFP’s CEO Lisa Folberg participated in a CalHHS panel discussing a UCLA report on healthcare financing in California. She addressed key short- and medium-term strategies, emphasizing the critical need to expand the primary care sector and also highlighted CAFP’s Primary Care for All policy.
AAFP’s August Recess Challenge (when members of Congress are in their home districts and most accessible) is when your voice can help prioritize decisions affecting Family Medicine. (AAFP information on many important healthcare topics is at https://www.aafp.org/advocacy.html.)
The proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule supports primary care by expanding teaching physician flexibility, updating payments to reflect today’s costs, increasing support for advance care planning, and working towards redesigning primary care payment to better support preventive care. The fee schedule should be finalized later this year.
CMS recently released its interim final rule on Medicaid work requirements, passed under last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (HR 1). It establishes Medicaid “community engagement” (work) requirements with a narrow exception for specified limited categories, and prohibits states from expanding the definition. AAFP encourages members to contact their members of Congress to exercise oversight to ensure that CMS implements the law consistent with legislative intent, without creating unnecessary barriers for patient care through their Speak Out portal.
The Congressional Patients First Act is a bipartisan Medicare payment reform bill that would support independent primary care practitioners and strengthen access to care for patients. AAFP issued a statement supporting the bill that would incorporate several long term priorities including a pilot to provide prospective payment for independent primary care physician practices, investments in primary care infrastructure, inflation-based physician payment updates, and reforms to Medicare’s budget neutrality requirements.
