Last year, numerous pieces of legislation impacting physicians were signed into law in California. The following new health laws are particularly relevant to physician practices and medical professional liability. This alert is based in part on information obtained from the California Medical Association. All laws are effective January 1, 2026, unless otherwise noted. Advanced practice providers: AB 1501 Updates and clarifies various statutory provisions governing physician assistants (PAs), supervising physicians, and podiatrists. These changes impact administrative processes, modify licensing, renewal, and application fees for PAs and podiatrists, and align licensing processes and terminology between the associated professional licensing agencies. The key...
This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was originally written by Jessica Bradley, MPH, CRICO. Description A 52-year-old man was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years after a panel of lab results showed an elevated PSA that the patient never saw and his PCP inadequately followed. Key Lessons A system to track complete physical examinations at regular intervals allows the provider to thoroughly assess the patient's history and counsel for recommended cancer screenings. PSA testing should not be automatic. A successful process for working up abnormal lab results includes: communication of results to...
DEA Extends Telemedicine Prescribing Flexibilities Through 2026
Just before the clock struck midnight on the New Year, the DEA issued a long-awaited formal statement clarifying the federal rules for prescribing controlled substances through telemedicine in the coming year. Since May 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has repeatedly extended the COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances, which had been set to expire at the end of the federal COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE). The flexibilities affected an important requirement of The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which requires prescribers to conduct an in-person examination (i.e. in a medical office) to evaluate each...
This resource was made available to MIEC through our partnership with Candello. It was written by Hannah Tremont, MPH In today's complex health care environment, preventing harm requires more than reviewing past events; it requires identifying risks before they lead to safety incidents or malpractice claims. At Candello's 2025 Summit session, Raising the Bar for Risk Assessments, three subject matter experts examined the evolution of CRICO and Candello’s Risk Assessment Program and shared strategies to strengthen safety culture across organizations. They outlined two primary assessment models—the Risk Appraisal Process (RAP), which evaluates entire organizations, and the Service Line Risk Assessment...
California SB 1451 and Impacts on Independent Nurse Practitioners
Among the new legislation in California that went into effect in 2025, one law includes some important changes that are likely to further stimulate the growth of independent nurse practitioners (NPs) in California. In 2023, the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) began accepting applications for a certification that allows experienced NPs to practice without the need for standardized procedures that outline scope of practice. The new designation, known as a “103” NP, requires NPs to have worked in good standing in California for at least 3 years and requires independently practicing 103 NPs to work in a group setting...