Dr. Aaron Spitz Wraps Up Busy Legislative Year in California, Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 5, 2016) – Dr. Aaron Spitz recently concluded a busy 2016 calendar of medical legislative advocacy by meeting on Capitol Hill with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) to discuss broad healthcare policy. Dr. Spitz is very active in California and national medical politics, frequently advocating on behalf of urologists and their patients.
Dr. Spitz was in Washington to participate in the winter meeting of the National Physicians’ Council for Healthcare Policy. The meetings were held in the Judiciary Committee Hearing Room in the Rayburn House Office Building, and elsewhere on Capitol Hill.
The National Physicians’ Council for Healthcare Policy addressed a wide scope of medical topics such as advancements in genomics research, the Quality Payment Program, advancing healthcare information, independent doctors, restoring the patient-physician relationship, rural community healthcare, due process for emergency medicine, and the merits of a national healthcare plan. The winter meeting concluded with a question-and-answer period with Rep. Sessions.
While Dr. Spitz was in Washington, he also met with several freshman members of Congress including Congressman Neal Dunn (R-FL), M.D., a fellow urologist and surgeon.
“I find politics professionally and personally satisfying because many decisions involving patients’ health occur at state and national government levels. To demonstrate true leadership, I find it crucial to be involved in these important decisions,” Dr. Spitz said.
Dr. Spitz also participated in these California legislative advocacy activities earlier this year:
- California Medical Association’s 42nd Annual Legislative Advocacy Day April 13 in Sacramento. The legislators were in bipartisan support of the need to train more physicians. The legislators also advocated for a measure that called for periodic training of purveyors of alcoholic beverages to better understand when a patron should be limited, and advocated against a bill that would allow insurance companies in California to pay out-of-network physicians no more than the Medicare Dr. Aaron Spitz (left) and Congressman Neal fee schedule.Dunn (D-FL). Dunn also is a urologist and surgeon.
- As President of the California Urological Association, Dr. Spitz lent support to Sen. Ben Allen’s (D-Santa Monica) initiative to declare November as Urological Health Month. The senator introduced the legislation the day after Dr. Spitz met with him. Dr. Spitz had the opportunity to contribute to Sen. Allen’s introductory messaging, pointing out the distressing and life-threatening consequences of untreated urologic conditions, including incontinence, impairment of normal function, and sepsis.
- Dr. Spitz was part of a task force from the Orange County Urology Society that targeted legislators from Orange County. As advocates for patients and physicians, they lobbied for three specific pieces of legislation. Senate Bill 22 called for increased funding for residency positions for primary care physicians in California, where the workforce shortage for physicians looms large in the coming decade. Dr. Spitz reinforced the need to consider the coming shortage of urologists as well as other specialists, in addition to the well-recognized shortage of primary care physicians. Dr. Spitz also met privately with the office of Sen. Ben Allen.
About Dr. Spitz
Dr. Spitz is a graduate of the Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York. He performed both his internship and residency at LA County and University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles. Dr. Spitz completed his fellowship in urology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He is a board-certified urologist and microsurgeon.
A nationally recognized urology expert, Dr. Spitz performs no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy employing the most advanced minimally invasive techniques for male birth control. He is also a recognized expert on male hormone replacement and sexual dysfunction. Dr. Spitz provides expert treatment for men suffering from low testosterone, erectile dysfunction (ED) and Peyronie’s disease.
Dr. Spitz is a frequent national media spokesperson on men’s health issues. He is currently serving as President of the California Urological Association (CUA), and is Co-Chair of the American Urological Association’s (AUA) Telemedicine Work Group.
