**RESPOND BY MARCH 29**

Dear California Urologists,

The Issue:

The California Urological Association and the AACU State Society Network have identified state legislation that may start the process of taking away urologist’s rights to perform diagnostic imaging procedures.

AB 516 : An act to amend section 650.02 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts: This amendment to the California Business and Professions Code would exempt Radiologists and Rad practices from the self-referral rules.

This measure is part of a national movement to restrict imaging use to radiologists by exempting only radiologists from the self-referral rules. It is important to preserve the right of urologists to perform diagnostic imaging in their office setting. Passage of AB 516 will set a bad precedent in California that could have national implications.

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN

Immediate Action:

The CUA is working with the State Society Network and other interested parties to defeat, or even better, amend this legislation to include other specialties in the exemption. The State Society Network has learned that a committee hearing on this bill has been scheduled for March 29, 2005 at 9:00 AM. Rai Flynn at the AACU has talked to the committee working on this legislation, the Business and Professions Committee, and they say the time for comment is NOW .

What Can We Do?

Comments to this legislation will be sent directly to the Committee’s Chair, Assemblywomen Gloria McLeod (D-61st), and will be distributed to committee members by submitting comments on this site:

http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm.

From there you enter the bill number ab516 (it is case sensitive so don’t use capital letters). From there the website will ask if you support or oppose the bill and it will allow you to submit a written comment.

If the bill is voted out of committee, contact your General Assembly member and let them know they should oppose this bill if it comes to the floor for a vote. To contact your state Senators and Representatives, you can call the AACU directly to get your legislator’s contact information. Or go online to www.vote-smart.org and put in your zip code to find your state legislator (the five digit plus four zip code is needed)

Talking Points:

To aid in your discussions with legislators the AACU is providing you with talking points on this issue:

This bill erroneously assume, by limiting interpretations of imaging studies strictly to radiologists, that non-radiology physicians, including urologists, are unqualified to perform and interpret imaging studies. The fact is, real benefits for patients are achieved when an appropriately trained physician, such as an urologists, selects the optimal study to perform, interprets the image, and is able to integrate the results with the full knowledge of the patient’s clinical condition to establish an appropriate treatment plan.

We believe urologists and other specialties should be included with Radiologists in this exemption. There is proven benefits to having urologists perform these procedures, including the benefit of the doctor patient relationship.

Feel free to contact the California Urological Association if you have any questions at:

info@cuanet.org

Vito Imbasciani, MD, President
Jeffrey Kaufman, MD, Representative to AACU, Director of Legislative Affairs

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If there are any further questions, please contact the CUA by email at info@cuanet.org
or by phone at 714-550-9155.

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