For Patients
This site offers general medical information, resources to assist you in solving problems with physicians and other health care providers and contact information for numerous local and regional medical organizations, including hospitals and specialty societies. The Physician Locator will help you find information about specific Ventura County area physicians and to help you locate new physicians as needed.
Don't hesitate to contact VCMA at (805) 484-6822 with any questions.
Physician Locator
The Physician Locator will help you find information about specific Ventura County area physicians and to help you locate new physicians as needed.
Click here for more information.
Medicare: Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program
HICAP (the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program) offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Trained volunteer counselors can answer your questions and help you understand your Medicare rights and benefits, including how to appeal denials of coverage; Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap policies); Medicare Advantage plans; employee and retiree coverage; and long-term care insurance. Legal help and representation at Medicare appeals or administrative hearings are also available.
HICAP provides free educational presentations on Medicare and related topics.
Call 1-800-434-0222 or visit http://www.cahealthadvocates.org/ for more information
For the Ventura County HICAP office, call 805-477-7310 or visit http://medicare-ventura-hicap.org/.
The California Department of Aging administers this volunteer-supported program and CHA supports the HICAPs through trainings, technical assistance and up-to-date consumer materials, including our website and fact sheets.
Advance Health Care Directive Kits 
California law provides individuals the ability to insure that their health care wishes are known and considered if they become unable to make these decisions themselves. The California Medical Association publishes an Advance Health Care Directive Kit which includes an Advance Health Care Directive form and wallet cards as well as information which answers the questions commonly asked about Advance Directives. For additional information about the Advance Health Care Directive, click here
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS KIT IS COPYRIGHTED.YOU SHOULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SAMPLE KIT IN ANY FORM WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING THE PERMISSION OF THE CMA.
*Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Do Not Resuscitate Forms
The Pre-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form developed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority in conjunction with the California Medical Association instructs EMS personnel to forgo resuscitation attempts in the event of a patient's cardiopulmonary arrest.
To order an Advance Health Care Directive, call VCMA @ (805) 484-6822.
For orders above 100, or to order forms in Spanish - please call the CMA publications department at (800) 882-1262, or log on to www.cmanet.org
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers from the California Emergency Medical Services Website.
POLST - Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment
POLST works in conjunction with the Advance Health Care Directive Kit to ensure informed end of life care decisions.
Complaint Process
The Mediation Committee is a peer review committee of physicians of various specialties that reviews complaints. While this particular committee assists complainants (including both patients and physicians) in mediating disputes, the Medical Association has no authority to require a physician to follow its recommendations or to take action against a physician's license.
Before the Medical Association accepts an official complaint, the Consent and Authorization form must be completed and signed by the complainant and/or the patient, by a parent when the patient is a minor, by the conservator or power of attorney of the patient, if applicable, and by the executor/trix, if the patient is deceased. As a complainant, you are responsible to provide any and all bills, letters, documents, etc. that pertain to your complaint.
As quickly as a complaint is received and lodged, the physician is asked to provide a written response to the Committee. When all information concerning the problem is received from both parties, the complaint goes before the next meeting of the committee for review. When the committee has concluded its deliberations, both parties are notified of the decision in writing.
The employees of the Medical Association are not medically trained; so, they are not qualified to discuss the aspects of any medical problem. Staff is assigned to process the paperwork on your complaint as quickly as possible and in a confidential manner. The complete process of evaluating your case may take from 90 to 180 days to complete.
Most disputes are the result of poor communications between individuals. Have you tried to discuss the problem with the physician? If not, we urge you to do so before filing a formal complaint. If you have and find there is still a problem, click here to print out a pdf Consent and Authorization Form.
The Medical Board of California
The Medical Board of California is a state regulatory agency charged to protect health care consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied health care professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act, and, to promote access to quality medical care through the Board's licensing and regulatory functions.
The Medical Board of California is the only authority in the state that may take disciplinary action against the license of the physician(s) to whom your complaint relates. The toll-free number of the Medical Board is 1-800-633-2322, and the Medical Board is located at 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95815.