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Top Story: Medical board urges State Fund to reconsider restrictions on prescription of opioids for intractable pain
The California State Compensation Insurance Fund, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer, recently notified the physicians in its medical provider network that they must agree to refrain from prescribing opioids for a period longer than two months and not prescribe compounded medications without prior authorization from the insurance adjuster or by order of a workers' comp judge.
Also in this issue:
- CME reporting forms are in the mail
- CMS pushes back deadline for e-prescribing exemption
- New voluntary Medicare initiative will test bundled payment models
- Appeals court rules hospitals cannot usurp medical staff
peer review authority - California Health Benefit Exchange gets $39 million grant
- CMA applauds passage of resolution to increase physician supply in California
- $3.8 billion in federal loans available to fund new co-op insurance plans
- CMA comments on proposed 2012 Medicare fee schedule
- Have you been asked to provide expert witness testimony?
- Anthem Blue Cross fee schedule changes took effect Sept. 1
- Earn free CME at CollaborativeCARE Conference, November 15-20 in Long Beach
- Upcoming Webinars:
Featured Member Benefit:
Epocrates: California Medical Association members save 30 percent on all Epocrates mobile and online products. READ MORE
1. Medical board urges State Fund to reconsider restrictions on prescription of opioids for intractable pain
The California State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), the state's largest workers' compensation insurer, recently notified the physicians in its medical provider network (MPN) that they must agree to refrain from prescribing opioids for a period longer than two months and not prescribe compounded medications without prior authorization from the insurance adjuster or by order of a workers' comp judge. The new rules, detailed in SCIF's "General Provisions and Criteria" document, also stipulate that MPN physicians cannot even prescribe certain medications at all, regardless of medical necessity.
The California Medical Association (CMA) believes that these new provisions are an attempt by SCIF to exert control over physicians' practice of medicine and clinical judgment, require physicians to treat injured workers' differently than other patients and violate state law, which allows for prescribing, dispensing, furnishing or administering controlled substances for the treatment of a condition causing pain, including but not limited to intractable pain. The restrictions also violate the Medical Board of California's Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain.
In addition to the concerns above, SCIF's notice required physicians to agree to the new preauthorization rules within two weeks or be kicked out of the MPN. State law requires insurers to provide physicians with at least 45 business days' notice of a material change to a contract. The law also gives physicians the right to terminate the contract prior to implementation of the change.
At CMA's request, the California Medical Board reviewed SCIF's preauthorization requirements for opioid prescriptions and has informed CMA that it shares the association's concerns. The board recently sent a letter to SCIF, urging the fund to review the board's guidelines for the treatment of intractable pain and to reconsider whether the preauthorization requirements are "a necessary component of effective treatment provided in the workers' compensation arena."
If SCIF doesn't voluntarily withdraw the provisions, the medical board has told CMA that it will take further action.
Stay tuned to future issues of CMA Alert for more information.
Contact: Frank Navarro, (916) 551-2046 or fnavarro@cmanet.org.
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2. CME reporting forms are in the mail
In 2009, the Medical Board of California changed its continuing medical education (CME) reporting requirements. Physicians are now required to complete 50 CME hours during every two-year licensure period, as opposed to the 100 hours previously required every four years. Additionally, CME reporting deadlines are now based on the physician's personal license renewal date (the last day of the month of the physician's birthday), not the calendar year.
The California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) CME Certification Program, which documents and verifies physicians' CME activities, this week mailed CME reporting forms to physicians with license expiration dates between September 1 and December 31. The next mailing will go out in January to physicians with birthdays/license expirations between January 1 and March 31.
If your birthday was earlier in the year, it's not too late to submit your form and there is no late fee. (Download the reporting form from the IMQ website.)
When certified by IMQ, physicians' CME credits will automatically be accepted by the medical board, saving you time and hassle. (IMQ also provides documentation of physicians' CME in the event of a medical board audit.) IMQ's CME certification is $29 for CMA members, $49 for nonmembers. Physicians also can request that their CME certification information be sent to hospitals, health plans, specialty societies, and others for credentialing or membership renewal purposes at no additional charge.
For more information, visit the IMQ website.
Contact: Paulette Richardson, (415) 882-3387 or prichardson@imq.org.
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3. CMS pushes back deadline for e-prescribing exemption
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week issued a final rule that makes several significant changes to the 2011 Medicare e-prescribing initiative. Among the changes is a one month extension to the deadline to apply for a hardship exemption. Physicians now have until November 1 to file for an exemption.
The final rule requires physicians in individual practices to have submitted at least 10 Medicare Part B claims with the electronic measure code eRx G8553 and an eligible encounter code by June 30, 2011. Physicians who failed to do so will see their 2012 Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent, unless they fall into one of the six new exemption categories:
- Physician's practice is located in a rural area without high speed internet access.
- Physician's practice is located in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for electronic prescribing.
- Physician is registered to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid electronic health record incentive (EHR) program and has adopted certified EHR technology.
- Physician is unable to electronically prescribe due to local, state or federal law or regulation (e.g., prescribes controlled substances).
- Physician infrequently prescribes (e.g., prescribe fewer than 10 prescriptions between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2011) .
- There are insufficient opportunities to report the e-prescribing measure due to program limitations.
- Physicians can apply for more than one exemption category if applicable to their particular situation.
Individual physicians will be able to apply for an exemption from the 2012 e-prescribing penalty via an online web-portal. Exemption requests from individual physicians will not be accepted via mail, e-mail or fax. Group practices already participating in the 2011 e-prescribing group practice reporting option must submit an exemption request via mailed letter (group exemptions cannot be submitted online or via e-mail).
Physicians who met the 10-claim minimum by June 30, and who report at least 15 more qualifying electronic prescriptions before the end of 2011, will be eligible for a 1 percent Medicare bonus next year.
Questions regarding the use of CMS' web-portal should be directed to the Quality Net Help Desk, at (866) 288-8912 or qnetsupport@sdps.org.
Although the California Medical Association (CMA) is pleased that CMS provided more flexibility under the exemption categories and extended the deadline to apply for an exemption, we had hoped for even greater flexibility, including an additional reporting period. CMA remains concerned that physicians will be unfairly penalized because they have not been given enough time to comply.
Contact: Michele Kelly, (213) 226-0338 or mkelly@cmanet.org.
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4. New voluntary Medicare initiative will test bundled
payment models
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that it will pilot four different models for bundling payments to physicians and hospitals. Under CMS's new Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative, hospitals, physicians, and others will be able to propose discounted fees for bundled payments across a single episode of care during a hospital stay in an acute care hospital and during post-discharge recovery.
The pilot projects were authorized by last year's federal health reform legislation. Currently, when a Medicare patient undergoes a course of treatment, the various providers involved are paid separately by Medicare, which, according to CMS officials, often results in inefficient, uncoordinated care. CMS believes that the new payment models will motivate providers to cooperate to improve quality and lower costs.
Providers would be paid under the Medicare fee-for-service system but at a discounted, negotiated rate. Any savings achieved from holding costs below the negotiated price could be shared among participating physicians and hospitals. Current Medicare gain-sharing rules prohibit hospitals from sharing savings with physicians who help them lower costs. The bundling initiative waives these prohibitions so that hospitals, physicians and post-acute care providers can coordinate and share in savings.
Three models involve a retrospective bundled payment arrangement, and one model would pay providers prospectively. Through the bundled payments initiative, providers will have great flexibility in negotiating the fees, selecting conditions to bundle, developing the health care delivery structure, and determining how payments will be allocated among participating providers. However, the bundled payment will only be made to hospitals for distribution to the other providers. Therefore, CMA recommends that participating physicians, medical staffs and medical groups be fully engaged in the design and implementation of local pilot projects.
Previous demonstration projects suggest tremendous savings potential. A recent heart bypass surgery bundled payment demonstration, for example, saved Medicare $42.3 million—about 10 percent of expected costs—and saved patients $7.9 million in coinsurance. More importantly, the program improved care and lowered hospital mortality.
Providers interested in participating in the initiative must apply by Sept. 22 for model 1 and by Nov. 4 for models 2–4. More information about the various models and their requirements is available on the CMS Innovation Center website.
CMA is working to submit other California pilot proposals to the CMS Innovation Center that allow physicians in all modes of practice to participate in new physician-led delivery and payment models.
Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, (415) 882-3376 or emcneil@cmanet.org.
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5. Appeals court rules hospitals cannot usurp medical staff peer review authority
A California court of appeal recently reaffirmed the importance of an independent self-governing medical staff, ruling that a hospital's lay governing board cannot unlawfully usurp a medical staff's peer review authority. The California Medical Association (CMA) had submitted an amicus brief supporting the aggrieved physician in the case and urging the court to carefully scrutinize the facts in this case to ensure that the peer review process was conducted fairly.
In this case, El-Attar, M.D. v. Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, a physician was terminated from medical staff membership after the hospital governing board denied his application for reappointment, even though the Medical Staff Executive Committee (MEC) had recommended reappointment. When the physician appealed, the hospital's lay governing board bypassed the MEC (which had delegated its authority to the board) and picked its own biased peer review panel, which included physicians with economic ties to the hospital. The hospital-appointed panel then refused to renew the physician's medical staff privileges.
The hospital did not deny that it violated the bylaws, but rather, argued that the purported delegation of authority by the MEC was permissible under California law. CMA submitted an amicus brief explaining that medical staffs cannot, except in rare circumstances, delegate this critical responsibility.
The court of appeal agreed, holding that a working peer review system "not only requires establishment of a dual structure, but also requires preserving the separateness of those dual components. That structure promotes the goal of shielding physicians from arbitrary and discriminatory disciplinary action by effectively insulating a governing body bent on removing the physician from the hospital medical staff. Allowing the governing board to handpick the [hearing panel] members jeopardizes the integrity of the hearing from the beginning and it undercuts the medical staff's right and obligation to perform this self-governing function."The appellate court ruled that the power to appoint the hearing panel is non-delegable and vested only in the MEC. It is noteworthy that in its ruling, the court cited and discussed the equivalent provisions of CMA's Model Medical Staff Bylaws.
For more information, see CMA medical-legal document #1410, "Peer Review – Fair Hearing Requirements." Medical legal documents are available free to members in CMA's online resource library.
Contact: Samantha Pellon, (916) 551-2872 or spellon@cmanet.org.
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6. California Health Benefit Exchange gets $39 million grant
California's new health insurance exchange—the California Health Benefit Exchange—recently received a $39 million federal grant will help the state plan for and design a new health insurance marketplace to cover millions of Californians. California was the first state to create a health insurance exchange following the passage of federal health care reform. It is charged with creating a new insurance marketplace from which individuals and small businesses will be able to purchase competitively priced health plans using federal tax subsidies and credits beginning in 2014.
The California Health Benefit Exchange Board also recently announced the appointment of Peter V. Lee as its first executive director. Lee will join the Health Benefit Exchange on October 17, 2011. He currently serves as the Deputy Director for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Innovation Center in Washington, D.C.
The exchange is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and Legislature. The California Health and Human Services Secretary (currently Diana Dooley) serves as an ex officio voting member and is its current chair.
CMA continues to work with stakeholders to make sure that there is a broad choice of health plans and physicians participating in the exchange. To ensure appropriate access to care, CMA is advocating that the rates be risk-adjusted and adequate to cover the costs of providing care. CMA is also weighing-in on the medically necessary services that must be included in the essential benefits package.
Contact: David Ford, (916) 551- 2554 or dford@cmanet.org.
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7. CMA applauds passage of resolution to increase physician supply in California
The California State Senate recently gave bipartisan support to a joint resolution that urges the President and Congress to provide resources to increase the supply of physicians in California to improve access to care in underserved areas. The resolution also encourages the President and Congress to consider solutions that would increase the number of graduate medical education residency positions to keep pace with the growing need for physicians in California and the United States.
"With the baby boomers beginning to retire, national health care reform expanding coverage to millions of previously uninsured citizens, obesity rates hitting epidemic levels and the repercussions of the national recession and California's own severe budget deficit still playing out, it is more important than ever that we continue to assess, address and reform the obstacles facing California's health care system," said California Medical Association (CMA) President James G. Hinsdale, M.D."The most important of these obstacles, and one that is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, is ensuring sufficient and timely physician access for every Californian in need of a physician's care."
The Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) recommends that a state have between 60-80 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. In California, there are on average 63 primary care physicians for every 100,000 people. However, 42 out of California's 58 counties fall below COGME's minimum recommendations regarding adequate physician supply for primary care.
"Our state is barely meeting the recommended supply of primary care physicians and those numbers are unevenly dispersed throughout the state, leaving some communities without access to care for miles," Dr. Hinsdale added.
CMA has been active on a number of fronts to address the challenges of physician supply and distribution, including:
- Working with the legislature to create the Steve Thompson Scholarship program. The program would provide up to $105,000 in scholarships to selected participants who agree in writing prior to completing an accredited medical or osteopathic school to serve a minimum of 3 years in "medically underserved areas" or where unmet propriety needs for physicians exist as determined by the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission.
- Creating the Steve Thompson Loan Repayment Program that provides grants to pay off medical loans for physicians working in underserved areas. Each participating physician receives up to $105,000 in exchange for a three-year service commitment in a medically underserved area of the state;
- Supporting new medical schools, UC Merced and UC Riverside, and pushing an expedited timeline to build them;
- Supporting efforts to increase the diversity of the physician workforce through CMA's Ethnic Medical Organization Section; and
- Promoting increased incentives for pursuing primary care and supporting primary care physicians to keep their practices viable.
"On behalf of the California Medical Association, I want to thank Assembly Member Ricardo Lara for his leadership in seeing this resolution through," Dr. Hinsdale said. "Clearly, this is an issue that we can all agree needs attention, as the need for physicians is certainly not going away."
For more information on physician workforce issues in California, see "CMA Issue Brief: California Physician Workforce."
Contact: Molly Weedn, (916) 551-2069 or mweedn@cmanet.org.
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8. $3.8 billion in federal loans available to fund new co-op insurance plans
The federal health reform law—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)—calls for creation of private, consumer-governed, non-profit health insurance plans, called co-ops (consumer operated and oriented plans). Co-ops will offer qualified health plans through state health insurance exchanges as an alternative for consumers to traditional, for-profit plans. $3.8 billion in federal loans are available to these new entities to cover startup costs and to help them meet state insurance solvency and reserve requirements.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently began accepting applications for co-op start up and solvency loans. First round applications are due October 17, 2011, and successful applicants will be awarded funds by January 12, 2012.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also recently released proposed rules governing the creation of co-ops. The rules describe standards that co-ops must meet and the process through which they can apply for the federal start up and solvency loans.
According to the proposed rules, co-ops will qualify for startup loans if they have a high probability of becoming financially viable, which CMS will determine based on evaluations of their legal, operational and business plans. Startup loans must be repaid within 5 years and solvency must be repaid within 15 years.
Earlier this year, the California Medical Association (CMA) sent a letter to HHS on the issue of co-ops, urging the agency to allow flexibility in its loan and grant provisions. CMA believes that while the not-for-profit, local governance CO-OP model will be attractive to California physicians and patients, one of the greatest barriers to their success will be ability to amass the financial reserves necessary to cover unexpected catastrophic claims and losses. "Thus, co-ops will either have to carry large financial reserves or be forced to purchase reinsurance to mitigate unexpected catastrophic losses," CMA noted in its letter. CMA has urged HHS to explore ways the federal government could sponsor reinsurance to co-ops.
CMA's letter emphasized that in order for co-ops to provide access to comprehensive, quality patient services, they must have "robust provider networks of primary care and specialist physicians, who must be paid fairly and adequately." To this end, CMA stressed that co-ops must be able to pay physicians actuarially sound rates, which are essential to attracting and maintaining physician participation in a start-up co-op.
CMA also urged HHS to promote physician involvement in co-ops – on their governing boards and in their management and provider networks.
Contact: David Ford, (916) 551- 2554 or dford@cmanet.org.
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9. CMA comments on proposed 2012 Medicare fee schedule
This week the California Medical Association (CMA) sent comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2012 Medicare Fee Schedule. While CMS is mandated by law to implement the 29 percent Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment cut, CMA called for CMS to exert leadership with Congress to repeal the flawed SGR payment formula once and for all.
CMA said that a 29 percent Medicare payment cut would force many physicians to close their practices, negatively impacting patients and the California economy. In 2009 California office-based physicians created a total of $138 billion in revenue, supported nearly 500,000 jobs, contributed $106 billion in wages and benefits to employees and paid more than $7 million in local and state taxes, according to a recent Lewin Group report. The report said that "…physician practices not only ensure the health and well-being of communities but also critically support local economies and enable jobs, growth and prosperity." CMA also called upon CMS to implement a Medicare private contracting pilot project.
CMA also urged CMS to significantly modify the time frame and structure for implementing the Value-Based Payment Modifier – the new payment methodology authorized in the federal health care reform legislation.
CMA is extremely concerned that the value modifier – set to begin in 2015 – is fraught with problems because it is based on inaccurate individual physician quality information, may not be appropriately cost and risk-adjusted and it is a complex payment system that CMS does not have the systems to implement. CMA asked CMS to recommend that Congress amend the Value Modifier and the Confidential Feedback Report programs if they prove to be inaccurate and unworkable.
CMA also urged CMS to coordinate the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System with the Medicare-Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; move back the date for the electronic-prescribing program penalties and allow for more physician exemptions; and provide more detailed guidance to physicians and beneficiaries about the new preventive services covered by Medicare's new Annual Wellness Visit.
CMA applauded CMS for reversing its Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) proposals last year. Because of CMA's advocacy on the 2011 proposed rule, CMS dropped a proposal that would have reduced payments to California physicians by $150 million. CMA also complimented CMS for continuing to ensure that physician payments are adjusted for the geographic differences in practice expenses (i.e., rent and non-physician employee wages) in 2012. CMA supports the increased weight given to non-physician employee wages in the 2012 practice expense GPCI because it is a growing cost for California physicians. While CMS searches for better data sources, CMA also urged CMS to continue to use the HUD rent proxy for physician office expenses, as it most closely reflects the price of physician office rents in California.
CMA did, however, express disappointment that CMS did not adopt the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recent recommendation to move the physician payment localities to Metropolitan Statistical Areas. CMA is urging CMS to adopt the IOM recommendations in 2013 with a plan to mitigate payment reductions to rural physicians.
Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, (415) 882-3376 or emcneil@cmanet.org.
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10. Have you been asked to provide expert witness testimony?
Quite often, the California Medical Association (CMA) receives inquiries from physicians who have been issued a subpoena or have been retained to provide expert witness testimony in a civil or criminal case. CMA medical-legal document #0910, "Expert Witness Issues," answers the most common questions that arise in these instances.
The document covers issues such as expert witness fees and depositions, expert witness testimony, the general status of treating physicians, ethical issues, and HIPAA implications. The document also includes a sample expert witness retention agreement for use in civil cases.
Medical-legal document #0910, as well as the rest of CMA's medical-legal library (formerly CMA On-Call), is available free to members in CMA's online resource library. Nonmembers can purchase medical-legal documents for $2 per page.
Contact: Samantha Pellon, (916) 551-2872 or spellon@cmanet.org.
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11. Anthem Blue Cross fee schedule changes took effect Sept. 1
Anthem Blue Cross recently notified physicians of changes to its Prudent Buyer physician fee schedule that took effect September 1, 2011. The new fee schedule increases payment levels for many evaluation and management (E/M), preventive care, ER, after-hours, and chemotherapy administration services. Additionally, although Blue Cross will continue to recognize consultations codes, it will be decreasing payment levels for those codes.
The notice also advises of changes to the number of Payment Areas statewide, reducing the total from eleven to nine, changes to reimbursement methodology for obstetric anesthesia and therapy services, and changes to the multiple procedure payment reduction for the technical component of diagnostic imaging. Additionally as part of the fee schedule update, workers' compensation claims will be reimbursed at the lesser of the Prudent Buyer fee schedule or the Workers' Compensation Official Medical Fee Schedule.
Physicians can obtain a complete copy of the new fee schedule on the Blue Cross website (log in and select the "Prudent Buyer Fee Schedule Update" link under the "What's New" section).
The California Medical Association (CMA) urges physicians to assess the impact this fee schedule update will have on their practices. CMA has created a financial impact worksheet to help physicians assess the impact the fee schedule changes will have on their practices based on their most commonly billed CPT codes. This worksheet is available to members only in CMA's online resource library.
Physicians should also be aware that they have the right to terminate an agreement if a material change is not beneficial to their practice. For more information about your rights, see CMA's "Contract Amendments: an Action Guide for Physicians," also available in CMA's online resource library.
If you have questions about the new contract terms, contact Blue Cross Provider Relations at (855) 238-0095 or networkrelations@wellpoint.com.
Contact: CMA's reimbursement help line, (888) 401-5911 or economicservices@cmanet.org.
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12. Earn free CME at CollaborativeCARE Conference, November 15-20 in Long Beach
The California Medical Association (CMA) has partnered with the CollaborativeCARE Conference (C3) to provide CMA members with free access to world class continuing medical education.
Join us for the inaugural C3 conference, November 15-20, 2011, at the Long Beach Convention Center and earn up to 24 AMA Category 1 Credits™ – free of charge. And be sure to visit the CMA booth on the exhibit floor.
C3 delivers an integrated curriculum designed to enhance care coordination and improve patient health. You will have the opportunity to attend live education sessions that not only are unbiased, evidence based and expertly informed, but also will foster coordinated care leading to better outcomes for your patients.
What makes C3 unique?
- Uniquely comprehensive and integrated curriculum: C3 offers mirrored education tracks for specialists and primary care providers to foster coordinated care.
- Nationally recognized faculty: C3's clinical CME program was developed independently (by Lighthouse Learning, LLC) and will be delivered by the nation's leading experts across 12 specialty areas.
- Patient education: C3 offers a patient education program that is uniquely designed to align patient expectations with physician recommendations for optimal care in select disease areas addressed by the conference curriculum. Invite your patients, at no cost, to attend world-class medical education sessions on the two days following the conference.
- Exhibition floor organized by pavilions: With 12 clinical specialty pavilions and a technology pavilion, the C3 exhibit floor will be easier to navigate than other conferences of this size and scope.
- Free of charge: As a valued CMA physician, you can attend the Long Beach event free of charge and your registration fee for all future C3 events will be waived.
For more information, including speakers, topics and registration, visit http://www.ccconference.com.
Contact: C3, (877) 303-0719 or c3lb11@compusystems.com.
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13. Upcoming Webinars
9/7: How to Grow Your Practice: With the changes in today's health care industry, retaining current patients and attracting new ones has become ever more challenging and competitive. This webinar will show you how to take a holistic look at the entire patient experience, not just traditional marketing and promotional efforts, in order to grow your practice.
The one hour webinar is September 7, 2011, at 12:15 p.m.
9/15: Medical Billing Standards for Workers' Comp: The California Division of Workers' Compensation recently announced new billing standards that take effect this October. Compliance with the new standards is mandatory for anyone who bills for medical services in the California workers' compensation system. This webinar will provide an update on the new standards and show you how to submit bills correctly to avoid unnecessary payment delays and denials.
The one hour webinar is September 15, 2011, at 12:15 p.m.
9/27: Insulin Management: The California Medical Association Foundation's Diabetes Quality Improvement Project is hosting a free clinical education webinar for physicians and other health care providers who care for patients with type 2 diabetes. The webinar will be presented by Kimberly Buss, M.D., a family physician and the medical director for diabetes education with the Sutter Medical Group. Participants will learn how to: identify patients who are likely to benefit from intensive insulin therapy; illustrate the ability to select and individualize optimal treatment design; and recognize appropriate short-, intermediate-, or long-acting insulins in the management of type 2 diabetes.
The one hour webinar is September 27, 2011, at 12:00 pm.
To register for any of these webinars, visit the CMA event calendar.
Contact: CMA's member help center, (800) 786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org.
14. Featured Member Benefit: Epocrates
California Medical Association members save 30 percent on all Epocrates mobile and online products. Epocrates provides point-of-care access (via mobile devices and the web) to information on drugs, diseases and diagnostics.A members-only link is required to access the discount. To access the link, visit CMA's group buying discounts page or contact CMA's member help center at (800) 786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org.