Legislative Advocacy
| UAPD President Stuart Bussey and State Federation of Labor Secretary Treasurer Art Pulaski welcome new US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to San Francisco. |
Telemedicine Key Issue for Union Doctors
UAPD is working hard to ensure that several bills regarding the use of telemedicine in State prisons do not undermine the ability of UAPD doctors to provide quality care in those settings.
Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani has introduced three telemedicine bills this session: AB 1785, AB 2222, and AB 2668. The bills would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to create an infrastructure for telemedicine that includes every state prison and to expand the range of medical services delivered by that telemedicine system. While these bills cover only CDCR, they are important to other state and county doctors as they could set a pattern for the use of telemedicine in the public sector in California.
UAPD expressed its concerns about the original content of the Galgiani bills to legislators and to the Receiver, as the bills contained language that could allow telemedicine to expand beyond what most doctors deem appropriate. Speaking on the topic of telemedicine before the UC Regents in March, UAPD President Dr. Stuart Bussey remarked that while telemedicine can be a valuable tool in the hands of providers, “it should not be the main course” for providing health care in prisons or elsewhere. For that reason, UAPD has worked with legislators to amend the Galgiani bills to insert guarantees that telemedicine will not be used to replace civil service doctors, that it will be limited to specialty care consultations, and that its use will be up to the discretion of the individual doctor.
UAPD continues to monitor the progress of these bills as they work their way through the Assembly. Doctors are encouraged to follow the progress of these bills and contact their labor representative if they have special insight on telemedicine to share.
AFSCME PEOPLE's Convention
Delegates to the AFSCME PEOPLE Legislative Conference travelled to Sacramento on March 15 for a day of decision making and lobbying on a range of issues. The theme of the conference was “The Power to Win in 2010,” with particular emphasis on the California gubernatorial race. 154 delegates were present, including 15 from the UAPD. Attorney General Jerry Brown, AFSCME International Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy, Rev. James Lawson and various members of the California Legislature addressed the delegates. The group endorsed candidates and initiatives, approved various reports, and honored William Lucy, who will retire in three months. Dr. Stuart Bussey presented an award to Dr. Cuong Nghiem, SEPA President-Elect, in recognition of his more than two decades of service to developmentally disabled patients. After attending plenary sessions, workshops, awards ceremonies, receptions, luncheons and dinners, delegates were guided by Douglas Chiappetta (Chief Legislative Representative for UAPD/AFSCME) through lobbying sessions with members of the California Assembly and Senate. The delegates spoke in favor of several UAPD-backed bills.
Tell Sacramento What You Think...RIGHT NOW!
Sick of the cuts? Think the pain should be shared with big business as well as state and county workers, and the people we serve? Speak up! It is now easier than ever to communicate directly with our elected leaders.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Phone: 916-445-2841
Click here and choose subject "Governor" to email the Governor.
Your State Assembly Member and Senator
Click here and enter your home or work address to get the contact information of the legislators that represent you.
Contact information for Local and National officials coming soon.
Please forward copies of your messages to uapd@uapd.com or fax to 510-763-8756.
UAPD Talks Health Care Reform with US Representative Pete Stark
Everyone benefits when unionized doctors have regular and ongoing input. More on Meeting with Rep. Pete Stark
Health Care Reform Surveys Sent to UAPD Members
The Board of Directors is asking our doctors to share their ideas about health care reform. All UAPD members will be sent a survey in the first half of April 2009, either electronically (via e-mail) or in the mail. Please complete and return your survey immediately, as your input is important in formulating union policy on this quickly evolving issue.
AFSCME Members Speak Out at White House Forum
The Employee Free Choice Act: Bargaining for a Better Life
Workers should be able to decide for themselves — without employer intimidation — whether or not they want to join a union. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would restore that right. Click here to learn about EFCA
2010 California Legislative Session
Through its lobbying efforts in Sacramento, each year UAPD promotes a number of bills that would be of benefit to union-represented doctors. UAPD also works to defeat bills that put doctors at risk. Current key bills are summarized below.
UAPD is sponsoring:
AB 646: Would delete that pilot project and would instead , until January 1, 2021, authorize a health care district, as defined, and a clinic owned or operated by a health care district, as specified, to employ physicians and surgeons if the health care district's service area includes a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or a Medically Underserved Population (MUP), or has been federally designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA); the district board conducts a public hearing and adopts a specified resolution declaring the need for the district to recruit and directly employ one or more physicians and surgeons; and the executive officer of the district provides specified documentation to the Medical Board of California. Upon receipt of that documentation, the bill would require the board to approve the employment of up to 5 primary or specialty care physicians and surgeons by the district, and, upon receipt of additional documentation after that employment, to approve an additional 5 primary or specialty care physicians and surgeons. The bill would provide that a district may, until December 31, 2020, enter into, renew, or extend any employment contract with a physician and surgeon for up to 10 years. The bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health and the board, to report to the Legislature by June 1, 2018, with regard to the efficacy of the employment of physicians and surgeons by health care districts, as specified.
AB 933: Would require the psychologist to be licensed by California state law. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 1744: Would among other things, provide that state employees shall be entitled to priority over excluded employees or contractors in filling permanent, overtime, and on-call positions. This bill would also authorize the formation of peer review committees for professional staff to provide input regarding workplace operations. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 1533: Would approve provisions of memorandum of understanding entered into between the state employer and State Bargaining Unit 16 that require the expenditure of funds, and would provide that these provisions will become effective even if these provisions are approved by the Legislature in legislation other than the annual Budget Act. This bill contains other related provisions.
UAPD opposes:
SB 919: Would provide that state employees in State Bargaining Unit 7 first hired on or after the date the act takes effect, in job classifications formerly subject to state safety membership prior to that date, shall be state miscellaneous members of PERS. The bill would provide that these provisions would apply notwithstanding a certain statutory provision or any provision of an expired memorandum of understanding, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 1196: Would require plans and other public documents, and notice of public meetings or teleconferences, relative to the proposed closure of the Lanterman Developmental Center, to be posted on the department's Internet Web site, as specified.
AB 1785: Would state the Legislature's findings and declarations on the use of telemedicine in the state's prisons. The bill would require the department to require and maintain a statewide telemedicine services program, require an operational telemedicine services program at each institution, expand services delivered by telemedicine, require prisons to use the prison telemedicine program, as specified, expand the use of existing telemedicine resources, and establish and maintain an infrastructure to enable timely tracking and reporting of telemedicine services.
AB 2222: Would authorize the department to install telemedicine fixtures and broadband infrastructure in new or existing buildings in the second phase in order to reduce prison health care delivery costs.
AB 2233: The Academic Correctional Health Care Act, would require the department to create a preferred provider organization or health management organization system of inmate health care delivery that dramatically reduces costs to a level similar to other large states, while providing a constitutional level of health care to inmates. The department would be required to begin implementing the program no later than one year after the effective date of the bill and fully implement the program no later than 4 years after the effective date. This bill contains other related provisions.
AB 2668: Would require the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to the extent funds are available pursuant to the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, to install telemedicine fixtures and broadband infrastructure for the delivery of telemedicine at the Medical Facility. This bill contains other related provisions.