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An invaluable resource unlike any other, the California Physician’s Legal Handbook (CPLH) is designed to equip health care professionals with comprehensive legal insights tailored to the evolving landscape of California's health care industry.

CPLH not only provides legal information to help physicians, medical groups, practice managers, risk management groups and legal practitioners understand and comply with the law, but it also helps shape the law by approaching issues from a physician's perspective.

CPLH is updated by California Medical Association (CMA) attorneys on a rolling basis throughout the year to ensure CPLH remains a go-to resource for legal guidance and insights

Recently updated chapters include:

Allied Health Professionals

• 3000: Allied Health Professional Relationships: Business Issues
• 3001: Allied Health Professional Relationships: Liability Issues
• 3002: Alternative and Complementary Health Care Practitioners
• 3003: Medical Assistants
• 3004: Naturopathic Doctors
• 3005: Nurses
• 3006: Optometrists
• 3007: Physician Assistants
• 3008: Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists
• 3009: Pharmacists

Ancillary Services

• 3700: Clinical Trials
• 3701: Cosmetic Procedures
• 3702: Liposuction
• 3703: Physicians Selling Vitamins, Dietary Supplements, and Other Items Not Requiring a Prescription
• 3704: Tissue Banks

Digital Health

• 0401: Online Consumer Review and Rating Sites
• 0402: Physician Practice Websites
• 0403: Physicians and the Use of Social Media
• 0405: Electronic Communication with Patients: Patient Portals, E-Mail and Online Advice
• 3301: Physician Use of Mobile Devices and Cloud Computing

Coming Soon: Federally Qualified Health Centers

CMA is excited to announce a brand-new chapter on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). This comprehensive chapter will cover the intricate landscape of FQHC compliance. It will demystify the certification process, help practices navigate clinic licensing, explore various payment models, and highlight the benefits of participating in 340B drug pricing programs. Stay tuned for more information.

How to Access CPLH

CMA members have free access to CPLH content via CMA’s online Health Law Library at cmadocs.org/health-law-library. Non-members can purchase individual documents for $2 per page.

The entire CPLH library is also available as an annual subscription for $525.00 at cplh.org.

We Value Your Feedback

Your feedback is invaluable to us. If there are specific questions or areas you would like us to cover in future updates, please email legalinfo@cmadocs.org .