Santana-Chin warns that the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted last year and also known as HR 1, could result in 650,000 enrollees falling off L.A. Care’s Medi-Cal rolls by the end of 2028. This will strain the plan’s finances as revenues decline. The insurer had revenues of $11.7 billion in the last fiscal year.

New physicians join as California’s SB 729 drives increased access and demand for statewide IVF care. HRC Fertility , one of the largest providers of advanced fertility care, is expanding its physician team with the addition of seven highly trained reproductive specialists. With California’s Senate Bill 729, which went into effect on January 1, 2026, broadening insurance coverage for fertility treatment and driving an anticipated uptick in demand, HRC Fertility is poised to meet patient...

A broad slate of new California health care laws took effect January 1, 2026, bringing meaningful changes to how physicians practice medicine and how patients access care. Many of the measures were sponsored or strongly supported by the California Medical Association and reflect priorities long championed by physicians: protecting clinical judgment, reducing unnecessary administrative burden, and preserving access to essential care. For Los Angeles physicians working in one of the nation’s...

This year required constant vigilance to protect health care and the practice of medicine. It began with devastating fires across Southern California that disrupted physician practices, displaced patients, and placed extraordinary strain on communities throughout Los Angeles County. In response, LACMA mobilized quickly to support physicians and practices on the front lines . LACMA immediately developed and deployed a Fire Recovery Toolkit to provide physicians and other healthcare workers...

Physicians and healthcare organizations play a unique role in both advocacy and direct community support. Here are ways to help right now:

This year, dozens of LACMA physicians—spanning all modes of practice—stepped up to represent the concerns, challenges, and solutions that matter most to Los Angeles County’s medical community. Together, they contributed to discussions on healthcare delivery, workforce trends, public health, and the future of the profession in California.

Astrana Health’s acquisition of Prospect Health became effective July 1, 2025, transferring provider contracts and operations to Astrana while keeping payment and reimbursement terms unchanged. Astrana Health’s acquisition of Prospect Health became effective on July 1, 2025, transferring  substantially all assets of Prospect Health Plan and Prospect Medical Group (and its subsidiaries)  — including operations, provider networks and one acute care hospital. As part of the transaction, provider...

Special guest former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra shares his perspective on California’s healthcare future as LACMA opens dialogue with gubernatorial candidates.   This past Saturday LACMA president Dr. Heather Silverman and president elect Dr. Hector Flores led the annual board of directors retreat which covered among other important topics, organizational priorities, ways for leaders to impact growth, membership retention, and member experience as well as policy and advocacy challenges.  ...

New research is shedding light on the long-term health impacts of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires , revealing that exposure to toxic smoke and ash may have lasting consequences for respiratory and cardiovascular health across the region. According to reporting by NPR , scientists studying the Palisades and Altadena fires found that wildfire smoke contained far more than fine particulate matter. As homes, vehicles, and infrastructure burned, they released heavy metals and hazardous...

In a powerful USA Today op-ed, LACMA member Valencia P. Walker, MD, MPH, FAAP, a neonatologist, warns that proposed changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule could have devastating consequences for infants and families. Dr. Walker shares her frontline experience caring for critically ill newborns and describes the growing challenge of remaining silent as more parents delay or refuse vaccinations amid misinformation and shifting federal signals.

Physician leaders across California are raising serious concerns following the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to terminate millions of dollars in federal grant funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a move they warn will weaken the public health infrastructure that protects children nationwide. The California Medical Association (CMA) condemned the decision, noting that the eliminated grants supported evidence-based pediatric programs focused on...

The countdown is on and there are just a few tickets left for one of the most inspiring nights in Los Angeles healthcare! On Friday, November 14, 2025 , join the FutureMedLA Foundation at The Maybourne Beverly Hills for the 12th Annual Los Angeles Healthcare Awards Gala —an evening that honors the innovators, advocates, and visionaries shaping the future of medicine. This year’s honorees include leaders who have redefined impact—from Cástulo de la Rocha of AltaMed, recipient of the...

In April 2025, CMA Physician Services launched MedWay , a first-of-its-kind subscription-based service designed specifically for independent physician practices across California. Created in direct response to member feedback, MedWay delivers comprehensive business operations support—including HR, benefits and retirement management, compliance, and time tracking —to enhance efficiency while preserving the independence that defines private practice. Early results have been impressive....

As of midnight, the U.S. government has officially shut down—marking the first federal closure in nearly seven years. The budget impasse,...

California physicians are increasingly concerned that immigration enforcement actions are creating fear that deters patients from seeking medically necessary care. Reports from physicians across the country describe patients—both undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens—missing routine appointments, delaying emergency care, and avoiding pharmacies or hospitals altogether because they fear interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent violent incidents in Minnesota...

LACMA has announced the 2026 Business of Medicine Conference, taking place on May 16, 2026, alongside the launch of its new Business of Medicine (BOM) Platform, a year-round resource designed to support physicians with the operational, financial, and leadership realities of practicing in Los Angeles County.

As of January 1, 2026, new federal rules requiring health insurers to make prior authorization decisions more quickly are officially in effect. The changes, finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), require payers to issue decisions on urgent requests within 72 hours and standard requests within seven calendar days. Insurers must also provide clearer, more specific explanations when care is denied. The intent is clear: reduce treatment delays and administrative friction...

Sacramento, CA- The California Medical Association (CMA) applauds the introduction of the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, authored by Representatives Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), a bipartisan bill that confronts decades of chronic underinvestment in Medicare physician payments by providing an annual payment update based on the reasonable Medicare Economic Index. Without Congressional action, inadequate and unstable payment rates will continue to...

The Essential Role of EMRs After H.R. 1 Passage H.R. 1 represents one of the most significant shifts in healthcare policy in recent years — and its ripple effects will be felt across every corner of the medical community. The bill updates federal Medicaid requirements, mandating that states maintain all eligibility determinations in an electronic format and preserve those records for at least three years. Beginning in October 2029 , the law also directs the U.S. Department of Health and...

In recent months, federal agents have camped out in the lobby of a Southern California hospital, guarded detained patients , sometimes shackled, in hospital rooms , and chased an immigrant landscaper into a surgical center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have also shown up at community clinics. Health providers say that officers have tried to enter a parking lot hosting a mobile clinic, waved a machine gun in the faces of clinicians serving the homeless, and hauled a...