AB 2805

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 and read diagnostic imaging procedures. Like other imaging related bills, we must work to stop all legislation of this nature because once the process of restricting imaging begins it will become a slippery slope.

AB 2805: This legislation prohibits healthcare providers from referring patients to an entity with whom that provider has a contract and that entity provides CT, PET and/ or MRI, unless the provider or their office owns the equipment or leases it on a full time basis.

This legislation has already passed the Committee on Business and Professions in a surprising 8-0 vote. The next stop for this bill will be a hearing April 25th in the Health Committee.

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.

Immediate Action:

The CUA is working with the State Society Network and other interested parties to defeat this legislation. The State Society Network has learned that a committee hearing on this bill has been scheduled for April 25th, 2006. Rai Flynn at the AACU has talked to the committee working on this legislation and they say the time for comment is NOW.

What Can We Do?

Comments to this legislation will be sent to the bill’s author through this link supplied by the State General Assembly.

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

You can find the Committee on Health members and their emails at this site:

http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newcomframeset.asp?committee=10

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:

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.

Patients’ access to health care services will suffer if restrictions are imposed on physicians’ ability to provide imaging. Patients who live in rural areas will be particularly hard-hit when in-office imaging is restricted.

Feel free to contact the AACU or the California Urological Association if you have any questions

Rai Flynn
State Affairs Manager
State Society Network
American Association of Clinical Urologists
(847) 517-1050
statesociety@aacuweb.org