CAFP Wrapped

You may have seen an "End of the Year Wrapped" on your streaming music service providing a personalized compilation of your listening habits, favorite songs, genres, and artists throughout the year. The last Legislative Update of the year will serve as your advocacy "End of the Year Wrapped," providing an overview of CAFP's accomplishments, advocacy and legislative initiatives, and membership engagement in advocacy.

Capitol Insight

CAFP demonstrated robust advocacy and engagement throughout 2024, securing significant legislative, budget, regulatory, and membership wins that reinforced our commitment to advancing family medicine, primary care, and health equity. This is exemplified in the various advocacy initiatives below:

Top 2024 CAFP Legislative and Advocacy Moments

Budget

1. The CAFP Advocacy team closely monitors the California state budget and played a critical role in securing key investments in the 2024 enacted budget, including primary care provider rate increases and $41 million for the Song Brown Program, which supports primary care residencies. Despite a state budget deficit and a proposed $10 million cut to Song Brown funding in the Governor’s May revision, CAFP’s efforts successfully preserved this vital funding.

Key efforts included:

• Submitting Priority Letters: Outlining budget priorities to the Governor and legislature, emphasizing the importance of Song Brown funding.
• Coalition Building: Leading a coalition letter signed by 30+ family medicine residency programs, clinics, and organizations such as CMA, CPCA, and SEIU.
• Activating Networks: Mobilizing California Residency Network (CRN) members and encouraging outreach to legislators.
• Voter Voice Campaign: Engaging members to advocate for Song Brown funding through targeted campaigns.
• Direct Advocacy: Speaking at budget hearings and maintaining ongoing conversations with legislators to highlight Song Brown’s district-level impact.

The final budget reflects both legislative commitment to primary care and the effectiveness of CAFP’s advocacy efforts.

1. The CAFP Advocacy team is an active member of the CalMedForce advisory group. CalMedForce was granted an additional $75 million from the MCO Tax revenue to further increase residency program spots in CA. The CAFP advocacy team has been at the table ensuring these funds support family medicine and primary care.

Legislation

1. The CAFP-sponsored Bill AB 2250(Weber) successfully navigated the legislative process, garnering support from over 60+ 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 about the bill’s importance. Members also participated in the CAFP Lobby Day where they spent the day talking to lawmakers about AB 2250. These efforts helped get the bill through the Legislature and to the Governor’s desk where it was ultimately vetoed. CAFP remains committed to ensuring family physicians receive adequate resources for addressing patients' SDOH needs and will be engaging in regulatory advocacy with DHCS in 2025.
2. Family Physician Week-The Advocacy team secured Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo as the author and champion of this year’s resolution establishing family physician week which took place from April 14-April 21, 2024. The resolution was presented on the Assembly floor on April 15^th, CAFP’s 2024 Lobby Day, and was enacted into law
3. The CAFP Advocacy team engaged with 87 of the 120 California legislators through the FP-PAC political giving, direct advocacy through the budget and legislative processes, and Lobby Day visits at the 2024 AMAM. The goal was to educate Legislators about the extensive training of family physicians, the diverse patient demographics they serve, the variety of practice settings in which family physicians work, and CAFP's priorities for the year. Key among these priorities was the preservation of funding for the Song Brown Program, and CAFP-Sponsored bill AB 2250.
4. CAFP supported 62 bills, including but not limited to, health carecoverage, reproductive health, and mental/behavioral health, resulting in 25 signed into law, showcasing substantial progress in achieving CAFP’s legislative goals with continued efforts for future success.

Family Physician Political Action Committee (FP-PAC)

1. Making strategic and effective use of the FP-PAC budget approved earlier this year, the FP-PAC has been contributing to campaigns to strengthen the profile and presence of CAFP and family medicine with Legislators. Highlighted below are CAFP members who had the opportunity to attend fundraising political events in Sacramento raising the profile of family medicine.

Pictured Left to Right: Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo and Brea Bondi-Boyd, MD

Pictured Left to Right: Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, MD, Alex McDonald, MD, and Brea Bondi-Boyd, MD

Pictured Left to Right: Robert Assibey, MD and Senator Akilah Weber, MD

Top 2024 Advocacy Membership Engagement Moments

Pictured: Robert Assibey, MD

Pictured: Adia Scrubb, MD, MP

1. CAFP member Adia Scrubb, MD, MPP, and Robert Assibey, MD, played a pivotal role as key witnesses for the CAFP-sponsored Bill AB 2250 (Weber), testifying in both the Assembly and Senate Houses. Their contributions were essential in advancing the bill through the legislative session.

Pictured: Rakesh Patel

2. CAFP endorsed Proposition 35 with a $110,000 contribution and actively engaged members to support the initiative. Efforts included distributing information, hosting the October 10 webinar, "Your Vote, Your Voice: Shaping the Future of Primary Care in California," which provided an overview of proposition 35.  In the final week before Election Day, CAFP members  amplified voter awareness through press conferences featuring family physicians, Raul Ayala, MD who participated in a virtual Central Valley event, while Rakesh Patel, joined San Diego leaders urging voters to support Prop 35. CAFP’s financial backing and member engagement were instrumental in the measure's success, securing a brighter future for primary care in California.

Pictured: Jehni Robinson, MD, FAAFP, Erika Roshanravan, MD, FAAFP, Samuel Huang, MD, FAAFP, Peony Khoo, MD, FAAFP, Alex McDonald, MD, FAAFP, Yiuing Pinches, MD, Cecilia Lee, MD, John Pinches, MD, Mohamed Manswer, MD  Israel Garcia, Neiki Rokni, and CAFP Legislative and Policy Advocate, Tiyesha Watts, MPA

Pictured: Jehni Robinson, MD, FAAFP, Erika Roshanravan, MD, FAAFP, Samuel Huang, MD, FAAFP, Peony Khoo, MD, FAAFP, Alex McDonald, MD, FAAFP, Yiuing Pinches, MD, Cecilia Lee, MD, John Pinches, MD, Mohamed Manswer, MD, Israel Garcia, Neiki Rokni, and CAFP Legislative and Policy Advocate, Tiyesha Watts, MPA

3. From May 19-21, 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 the burden of student loan debt by passing the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, introduce legislation that would require Part B coverage of all ACIP-recommended vaccines, and pass the Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act to  allow insurance plans and employers to provide coverage for primary care services to individuals enrolled in high-deductible health plans before they reach their deductible. The Summit provided a valuable platform for networking and collective advocacy to elevate the profile of family medicine nationwide.

4. From April 13–14, nearly 200 CAFP members gathered for the All-Member Advocacy Meeting (AMAM), which was followed by Lobby Day on April 15. This year's theme centered on utilizing a team-based approach to advance health equity. Keynote speaker Elizabeth Landsberg, Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), delivered a compelling address on groundbreaking initiatives shaping the future of healthcare in California. She highlighted HCAI’s efforts to advance primary care equity, expand pathways to healthcare access, and foster a diverse healthcare workforce.

Attendees participated in a variety of training sessions designed to enhance their skills and knowledge. Dr. Margot Savoy led an insightful workshop on team-based care strategies for screening social determinants of health (SDOH). Participants examined the risks and benefits of social needs screening in primary care settings, learned the key characteristics of a team-based approach, and explored resources to support effective implementation.

Advocacy training sessions equipped members with practical tools to become more effective champions for their causes. These sessions covered navigating the legislative process, crafting persuasive messages, and building relationships with legislators. Members also gained a deeper understanding of political campaigns and elections through the panel discussion, "The Sausage Making of Elections and Campaigns: An Insider's View" In which a panel of seasoned experts provided a behind-the-scenes look at campaign strategies, messaging, voter outreach, and election day operations.

Lobby Day, held in-person to coincide with Family Physician Week, provided members the opportunity to meet directly with legislators, advocate for CAFP’s priorities, and emphasize the critical role of family medicine in shaping patient care and health policy.

Regulatory

Top 2024 CAFP Regulatory Moments

1. CAFP served as a physician licensing subject expert for the Medical Board of California. CAFP consulted on legislation SB 1451(Ashby), for the medical board, to make important changes to the postgraduate training requirement for licensure. At the request of the Medical Board CAFP provided review and recommendations on the Medical Board Physician Wellness program. Legislative and policy advocate, Tiyesha Watts, provided comments at the October Quarterly Medical Board Meeting emphasizing the need for physicians and other health care providers to seek treatment for mental health and substance use disorders without fear of retaliation. In addition to ensuring that those who seek to serve the program, physicians are included in the development of the program. Lastly, the CAFP hosted a webinar with the Medical Board of California on important licensing issues, including the post-graduate training license (PTL).

2. CAFP actively engages with the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) to advocate for greater investment in primary care. CAFP CEO Lisa Folberg, participates in OHCA’s monthly Investment and Payment Workgroup, while other staff regularly attends OHCA Board and Advisory Committee meetings.
3. In January 2024, CAFP submitted a comment letter in response to OHCA’s proposed statewide Primary Care Spending Target, emphasizing the need for increased primary and preventive care investments, system transformation, and risk adjustments as part of California’s healthcare spending solutions. On October 14, the Health Care Affordability Board adopted key primary care investment benchmarks, including:

• Annual improvement benchmark: 0.5 percentage points to 1 percentage point per year increase in primary care spending as a percent of total medical expense for each payer for performance years 2025 through 2033; and
• Statewide investment benchmark: 15 percent of total medical expense allocated to primary care for all payers by performance year 2034.

These benchmarks were established alongside detailed definitions and methodologies to measure primary care spending, including the scope of primary care services, places of service, and providers. CAFP played a pivotal role in shaping these benchmarks through consultation and advocacy.

 CAFP 2024 Award Winners

1. Hero of Family Medicine: Adia Scrubb, MD. MPH
2. Champion of Family Medicine: Pilar Schiavo