October 2019
Wesley G. Bradford, MD, MPH
The AAFP is supporting an FDA plan to require all e-cigarette product flavors, except tobacco flavor, to be removed from the market. The CDC has reported more than 800 cases of vaping-related lung injury illnesses, most of them in youths under 25, who are more susceptible to flavor-related marketing. More than ¾ of lung injury cases contained THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), with or without nicotine. Some of these vaping cartridges were obtained from “informal sources” such as friends, family or illicit dealers. KTLA recently interviewed FP-PAC Chair and past CAFP President Jay W. Lee, MD, MPH, on the recent outbreak of severe lung disease from vaping devices. He urged parents to speak to their family physician about their concerns.
CAFP sponsored AB 1622 (Carrillo), updating laws to reflect the true value and diversity of family physicians’ care. The Governor has until October 13 to sign it. CAFP urges members and others to indicate SUPPORT on the Governor’s website, https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/.
CAFP also urges SUPPORT for the Governor’s signature of its other priority bills, including:
- AB 528, reducing required administrative burdens in operating the CURES database;
- AB 744, requiring payment for telehealth services the same as for in-person services;
- SB 29, extending eligibility for full Medi-Cal benefits to individuals over 65 years of age regardless of immigration status.
Governor Newsom recently signed 3 CAFP-supported bills:
- AB 714, clarifying when offering naloxone is required of prescribers, and exempting concurrent patient education requirements if the patient either declines this education or has received it within the past 24 months.
- SB 39, requiring tobacco products to be delivered only in containers conspicuously labeled as tobacco, and requiring signature of a person at least age 21 to receive it.
- SB 129, requiring annual health plan reporting of enrollment data for products inside & outside of Covered California, to improve statewide enrollment reporting and tracking.
They’re ba-a-ack again! Trial Attorneys (Consumer Watchdog) are planning a 2020 statewide ballot initiative to challenge the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), which has reduced frivolous lawsuits and limited growth of medical malpractice insurance premiums in California for over 35 years. Stay tuned. (A similar challenge was rejected by California voters in 2014.)
