Efforts to Change MICRA Cap
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We alerted you before to the possible ballot initiatives that are in circulation now for possible consideration by voters on the November 2014 ballot. That signature gathering process continues and we will update you on status as it occurs. Also last week current State Senator Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) spoke publically about possible introducing a bill this session to change the current MICRA cap on non-economic damages.
We have included below a link to the CAPP website to sign up your group as opposed to the MICRA changes. Please take a few moments to sign up with CAPP. They devote their efforts to preserving MICRA.
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CAPP Supporters:
If you haven't already, please take a moment to sign up to be an official opponent of a possible November 2014 ballot measure that would significantly weaken California's MICRA law and increase lawsuits against doctors, community clinics, health centers, hospitals and other health care providers.
Though your organization is already a member of CAPP and opposed to any changes to MICRA, the campaign to defeat the ballot measure cannot list your organization as an official opponent of the ballot measure unless you first sign up. Thank you in advance. It will only take a moment to join. Once you do, you also will receive regular email updates from the campaign.
Ballot Measure Update
The main component of the proposed ballot measure would quadruple MICRA's $250,000 cap on non-economic damages - raising the cap to $1.1 million plus an annual increase each year. This change will increase lawsuits against health care providers leading to a significant increase in medical liability insurance costs. Ultimately, this measure will increase health care costs for all consumers and reduce patient access to health care.
To date, trial lawyers and their allies have raised more than $1 million to pay for signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.
We need your involvement!
Please go to the CAPP website today and join us in opposing the trial lawyers' ballot measure and get involved in the campaign. Sign up online here and follow CAPP on Twitter: @MICRAWorks.
Lisa Maas
Executive Director
Californians Allied for Patient Protection
1215 K Street, Suite 2015
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-7992
lmaas@micra.org
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Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2014 Annual Meeting on September 6-7th at the Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco (www.sfpalace.com). This will be the third year of collaboration with the ACR RLI Institute and we are in the midst of finalizing the program content for this year. Attendees have found the past programs very helpful in dealing with the evolving nature of healthcare delivery and its impact on radiology practice. Program details and registration will be available in May.
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Covered California - What Plans are Enrollees Choosing?
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Covered California announced enrollment numbers through the end of 2013 that show that more than 500,000 state residents had purchased a health plan through the exchange. You might be curious as to which plans enrollees are choosing:
Anthem Blue Cross was the leader at 31%
Blue Shield at 30%
Kaiser at 19%
Health Net at 16%
Those four plans account for 96% of the enrollees.
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