In addition to providing leadership for the medical society, the NSMS Board of Directors meets quarterly to review and discuss political actions on behalf of the NSMS. These can include taking action on key pieces of legislation at the Capitol or communicating with local elected officials on public health issues.
More than 400 physicians, medical students and resident members from around the state travel to Sacramento in April to meet with legislators at the Capitol and discuss the year’s biggest health care issues. Contact NSMS to learn more, or keep an eye out for NSMS email notifications when registration becomes available in the Spring.
Open to all NSMS members, in-district meetings with local, state and federal legislators provide members with an opportunity to discuss pertinent issues affecting our community.
Physicians can be a “key contact” by developing a relationship with individual legislators and communicating the medical community’s concerns about specific legislation. Zero to little experience advocating policy to legislators? The California Medical Association’s (CMA) Physician Advocate program makes it easy and empowers you to protect the medical profession through advocacy training and grassroots alerts. Click here to find out more.
When bills are being heard in their committee and/or being voted on by the state Legislature, it is important Legislators hear firsthand from physicians on how these bills will impact the practice of medicine. For this reason, NSMS will occasionally send out a “Call to Action” so members can contact their representatives directly.
The CMA Council on Legislation, comprised of physicians around the state, meets to discuss and recommend positions on legislation that would impact physicians and the practice of medicine in California. The council is one of many ways to get further involved in CMA’s governance process.
Stay up-to-date on critical issues affecting the practice of medicine in California by subscribing to the CMA Newswire, a weekly e-newsletter. The CMA also regularly updates its Newsroom with relevant state updates and health care policy changes.
The most effective way to ensure that elected officials promote legislative positions supported by the medical profession is to help elect candidates who share our profession’s perspective. Based on recommendations from local medical societies, CALPAC makes monetary contributions to support candidates whose views are most consistent with CMA policy positions. These political action committees are nonpartisan, and support is based on candidates’ views and receptiveness to physicians' concerns.