Another Trial-Lawyer Backed Health Care Initiative April 30, 2014 Alert access to care, ballot initiative, CMA, health care rates, health rate measure, member alert, MICRA, provider reimbursement, Trial lawyers 0 MICRA isn’t the only ballot issue facing California doctors this year – a health care rate regulation initiative threatening provider reimbursements is also on the November ballot. The same trial lawyer-backed group pushing to change MICRA is sponsoring a separate rate regulation ballot measure that would give the Insurance Commissioner new powers to approve or reject insurance rates, benefit levels, co-pays and deductibles, which would impact payments to providers and limit patient access to care. The Orange County Medical Association (OCMA) joins the California Medical Association (CMA) in opposition to this initiative. We are encouraging our members to join the official campaign opposed as individual physicians. The measure: Gives the elected State Insurance Commissioner new powers to set insurance rates at levels which don’t meet the cost of providing care, resulting in lower reimbursements to providers and ultimately reduced access to care for patients. Gives one politician the power to approve or reject benefits, interfering with care decisions that are better made between doctors, healthcare providers and patients. Not surprisingly, the proponents drafted the measure without any input from physicians, patients, hospitals, or other health care providers – even though it will create a massive new layer of health care regulation in California. Of course, the real motive of the proponents is found buried in its language – a provision which opens up a new mechanism that allows the proponents and their trial lawyer backers to file lawsuits in rate proceedings, bleeding off invaluable health care dollars to line their own pockets. We know defeating the MICRA initiative is a top priority. But we urge you to join us in also fighting this measure as it will have a significant impact on provider reimbursements and patient access to care. Please join OCMA and a broad coalition of doctors, hospitals and health care providers in opposing this measure. If you would like to join the campaign’s media training webinar on May 8, please contact Kyle Griffith via email at kgriffith@bcfpublicaffairs.com Comments are closed.