PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The Dangers of AB 1751

Last month I wrote about CMA’s request for experiences with prior authorizations. Thank you to everyone who responded! As a result of those stories, CMA is sponsoring Senate Bill 598, legislation that would require health plans to exempt physicians from obtaining prior authorizations under specified circumstances.  

This month, I urge you to help us defeat a dangerous bill.

Assembly Bill 1751, sponsored by the California Chiropractic Association, would unnecessarily increase the administrative burden for physicians prescribing opioids for pain management. This bill would require physicians to recommend non-medical pain management techniques such as acupuncture or chiropractic adjustments and to obtain the patient’s signed informed consent that these services were offered. 

SSVMS and CMA take opioid use disorder very seriously, as evidenced by our heavy involvement in the Sacramento County Opioid Coalition. Physicians have a very strong understanding of the depth of this crisis. AB 1751 does nothing to address the opioid epidemic and only increases the administrative hoops we must jump through. It also undermines our medical decision making while limiting appropriate pharmacological access for vulnerable populations.

Message your Assemblymember about the dangers of AB 1751 today!

J. Bianca Roberts, MD

SSVMS President

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Far Too Many

By Bianca Roberts, MD

Read the March/April 2023 Issue Here