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 perspective. This is what political action committees (PACs) - CALPAC at the State and Federal level and ACCPAC at the local level - do on behalf of the membership.
How Do PACs Work?
Based on recommendations from local medical societies, who interview candidates for elective office, ACCPAC and CALPAC make monetary contributions to support candidates whose views are most consistent with ACCMA and CMA policy positions. These political action committees are nonpartisan, and support candidates based on their views on issues and receptiveness to physicians' concerns.
Why Are PACs Important?
PACs enable the ACCMA and CMA to develop relationships with candiates running for public office who support the interest of patients and physicians. State and local officials can have a big impact on how physicians practice medicine, and it is critical that we have good relationships with legislators who can advocate on our behalf. Furthermore, in the era of term limits in the State Legislature, PACs are an even greater factor in political advocacy. Open legislative races now occur on a regular basis as incumbents are forced by term limits to leave office. Moreover, term limits make it necessary for candidates to continue to solicit campaign contributions to prepare to run for higher office when term limits for their current office are reached.
Why Should Physicians Contribute to PACs?
While membership dues ensure that you are effectively represented at the state and local levels, none of this money is used to promote candidates for public office. Ensuring the right people get elected to office is a key part of any effective advocacy program. The degree to which ACCPAC and CALPAC can effectively promote candidates who support the medical profession's views is dependent on the degree to which physicians support ACCPAC and CALPAC. Historically, the percentage of physician support for its PACs compares poorly to support given in other professions and among trade and labor groups. That makes it more challenging for our PACs to successfully promote candidates that share our views on health care issues.
How Can Physicians Make a PAC Donation?
Click here to make a donation to CALPAC. Call the ACCMA at 510-654-5383 to make a donation to ACCPAC. Every member is also given an opportunity to support PACs on their annual ACCMA/CMA membership dues statement. Your decision whether or not to support these PACs does not affect your membership status in the ACCMA or CMA, but it does affect our political effectiveness.