CAFP Wrapped

CAFP Wrapped 

An "End of the Year Wrapped" typically refers to a personalized summary or compilation of a person's or entity's activities, achievements, or engagement over a calendar year. This concept is commonly associated with music streaming services such as Spotify, which provide users with a detailed breakdown of their listening habits, favorite songs, genres, and artists throughout the year. The last Legislative Update of the Year will serve as an" End of the Year Wrapped," providing an overview of CAFP's accomplishments, advocacy and legislative initiatives, and membership engagement in advocacy.

Capitol Insight 

The 2023 CAFP Advocacy year can be summarized as Tenacious, Resilient, and Perseverant. This is exemplified in the various advocacy initiatives below: 

Top 2023 CAFP Legislative and Advocacy Moments 

1. The CAFP-sponsored Bill AB 85(Weber) successfully navigated the legislative process, garnering support from over 30+ patient advocacy, health care, and community-based organizations. CAFP mobilized its members through grassroots initiatives such as VoterVoice, urging them to message and call legislators and the Governor to emphasize the bill's significance. Members also participated in Lobby Day during the 2023 All Member Advocacy Meeting (AMAM) to educate lawmakers on their Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) initiatives, highlighting the crucial role in patient care and the need for resources. Despite these efforts, the bill faced a veto. Nevertheless, CAFP remains committed to ensuring family physicians receive adequate resources for addressing patients' SDOH needs.
2. The CAFP Advocacy team held meetings with 30 out of the 34 newly elected State legislative members in 2023. The goal was to educate them about the extensive training of family physicians, the diverse patient demographics they serve, various practice settings, and CAFP's priorities for the year. Key among these priorities was the preservation of funding for the Song Brown Program.
3. CAFP supported 79 bills, including but not limited to, healthcare coverage, reproductive health, and mental/behavioral health, resulting in 32 signed into law and 32 transitioning into two-year bills, showcasing substantial progress in achieving CAFP’s legislative goals with continued efforts for future success.
4. CAFP actively engaged in ongoing advocacy with the California Medical Board (MBC), collaborating with coalition partners to negotiate amendments addressing concerns related to transitioning from a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) to a Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) License, resulting in the successful passage of SB 815 (Roth) and SB 143.
5. The 2023 enacted budget secures the renewal of the MCO tax, ensuring ongoing funding for Medi-Cal base-rate increases in Primary Care, Obstetrics, and non-specialty behavioral health, and allocates $75 million annually for Graduate Medical Education (GME). CAFP actively supported this initiative and continues advocacy through the CalMedForce Advisory Council for sustained investments, with a focus on primary care residency programs.
6. CAFP submitted a letter to the Governor and the legislature outlining our budget priorities, notably emphasizing the preservation of Song-Brown funding. Despite the State facing a budget deficit, our efforts were successful, ensuring the retention of Song-Brown funding.

Top 2023 Advocacy Membership Engagement Moments 

1.  Kimberly Buss, MD, MPH, served as a key witness for AB 1524, advocating for the provision of free drug testing devices on California State University and community college campuses to address trauma, sexual assault, and abuse. Her compelling testimony led to the bill passing out of the Assembly Higher Education Committee with a majority vote and was turned into a 2-year bill to be deliberated on during the 2024 legislative session. Dr. Buss also provided insights on social media's impact on adolescents in an interview with the Sacramento Bee.
2. CAFP member Adia Scrubb, MD, MPP, played a pivotal role as a key witness for the CAFP-sponsored Bill AB 85(Weber), testifying in both the Assembly and Senate Houses. Her instrumental contributions significantly advanced the bill through the legislative session, ultimately reaching the Governor's desk.
3. CAFP member, Dr. Sumana Reddy, took the spotlight in an exclusive interview with Calmatters, offering insights into her firsthand experience providing care to Medi-Cal patients as a small and solo practice physician. For an in-depth look,  View here. 
4. From May 21-23, around 300 family physicians, residents, and medical students, including CAFP members, participated in AAFP's Family Medicine Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. The attendees engaged with policymakers to address critical healthcare issues, emphasizing topics like Medicare physician payment adequacy, strengthening the primary care workforce, and alleviating administrative burdens. CAFP representatives, including Drs. Dominique Quincy, Samuel Huang, Tam Au, John Pinches, Yiuing Pinches, and advocate Tiyesha Watts, educated lawmakers on the inadequacies of the Medicare physician payment system and its impact on patient care. The Summit provided a valuable platform for networking and collective advocacy to elevate the profile of family medicine nationwide.
5. From March 25-27, nearly 200 CAFP members convened for the All-Member Advocacy Meeting (AMAM) and Lobby Day. The focus was on health equity, with keynote speakers discussing policy evaluation through an equity lens, utilizing frameworks like the Racial Equity and Policy (REAP) Framework. Members received training on effective messaging and storytelling in legislative interactions. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, MD, highlighted the significance of family physicians in policy development. The AMAM also provided training on running for office and serving on advisory committees. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, acknowledged family physicians and expressed a commitment to collaboration. Lobby Day, marking Family Physician Week, was held in person, allowing members to meet legislators, advocate CAFP priorities, and underscore the importance of family medicine and patient care in legislative discussions.

Top 2023 CAFP Regulatory Moments 

1. CAFP contributed to development of  the California DHCS proposed provider codes for Phase 1 of the Medi-Cal Targeted Provider Rate Increases. Effective from January 1, 2024, the initiative aims to elevate Medi-Cal rates to at least 87.5% of Medicare rates for primary care, maternity care, and non-specialty mental health services. Acknowledging family physicians' unique adaptability, especially in underserved areas, CAFP ensured that proposed CPT codes, including some labeled as "specialty," accurately reflected the diverse and nuanced care provided by family physicians. This involved reviewing over 500 codes to align with the breadth of services offered.
2. CAFP submitted a letter to Congress urging the full implementation of the Medicare billing code, G2211, in 2024. The code would account for the unique and inherent complexity of services and added resources cost of providing comprehensive primary care. 
3. CAFP submitted a comment letter in response to the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) Investment and Payment Workgroup's request for feedback on their draft alternative payment model (APM)standard and implementation guidelines to promote equitable, high-quality, and cost-efficient care. CAFP provided feedback emphasizing the need for greater investments in primary care, reducing administrative burdens, and the market for multidisciplinary care teams to assess and address patients' medical, behavioral, and social needs.
4. Three CAFP members were selected to serve on the Health Care Affordability Advisory Committee - Sumana Reddy, MD, FAAFP, Parker Duncan Diaz, MD, MPH, FAAFP, and Hector Flores, MD

CAFP 2023 Award Winners

1. Hero of Family Medicine: Kimberly Buss, MD, MPH
2. Champion of Family Medicine: Akilah Weber, MD

SEE YOU IN 2024!