profession
Calif. bill raises penalties against nonmedical businesses offering cosmetic procedures
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 3, 2010
Organized medicine is backing a California bill that would impose stiffer penalties on nonmedical entities that offer elective cosmetic procedures and hire physicians to facilitate them.
California generally prohibits nonphysician organizations from hiring doctors, under state laws aimed at preventing medical practice interference.
The latest measure was prompted when "laser" or "medical spa" chains began hiring doctors to bolster the businesses' weight-loss or other elective cosmetic treatments, according to the AMA and California Medical Assn., which support the bill.
Businesses and physicians involved in such arrangements would be found guilty of health care fraud under the legislation, which passed an assembly committee in April.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/03/prbf0503.htm.












