California Medical Association

What California Medical Association does

The California Medical Association (CMA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association founded in the 1850s that represents more than 50,000 California physicians and medical students. Headquartered at 1201 K Street in Sacramento, CMA operates as the recognized collective voice of California physicians, providing legislative and regulatory advocacy, legal and practice management resources, reimbursement intervention, and continuing medical education accreditation across all practice settings and specialties.

CMA's core product surface includes the Health Law Library and California Physician's Legal Handbook (approximately 5,000 pages of legal content), the Reimbursement Assistance / Center for Economic Services (which has recouped over $50 million from payers since 2009), the CMADocs mobile application, organized practice transformation services through its wholly-owned subsidiary CMA Physician Services Organization (CMA PSO, established 2019, serving 150+ practices), continuing medical education accreditation, the Physicians' and Dentists' Confidential Line for wellness support, and political advocacy infrastructure via CALPAC. The association also maintains direct payer escalation relationships with the California Department of Managed Health Care and pursues amicus briefs in state and federal courts on physician-relevant matters including the corporate practice of medicine, Truth in Advertising protections, and surprise billing.

Revenue is generated primarily through tiered recurring membership dues paid by individual physicians, medical groups, hospital medical staffs (OMSS dues of $500-$2,500 annually based on bed count), and educational institutions, supplemented by store and publication sales, CME program fees, and services revenue from the PSO subsidiary. Distribution runs through direct website enrollment, county medical society partnerships with shared single sign-on, and field-based practice transformation engagement. CMA has actively shaped California healthcare policy in 2025-2026 by sponsoring legislation including AB 489 (AI chatbot regulation), SB 351 (private equity interference protections), AB 144 (vaccine access), and prior authorization reform bills (AB 512, SB 306).

Name

California Medical Association

Legal name

California Medical Association

Website

https://cmadocs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The California Medical Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership association representing 50,000+ California physicians and medical students, delivering legislative advocacy, legal resources, reimbursement assistance, practice transformation, and CME accreditation from its Sacramento headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Physician advocacy services
• Medical professional association
• Health law resources
• Reimbursement assistance
• Practice transformation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CMA generates revenue primarily through membership dues from individual physicians, medical organizations, medical staffs, and students/residents. Annual and monthly membership options are available with tiered pricing.
2. Store and Publications: CMA operates a store selling publications, resources, and merchandise to members and non-members. Non-members can purchase individual documents from the Health Law Library at $3 per page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CMA is a nonprofit membership association that sells individual, organizational, medical staff, and student/resident memberships to California physicians. Members receive advocacy, legal resources through the Health Law Library and California Physician's Legal Handbook, reimbursement intervention via the Center for Economic Services, CME accreditation, practice transformation coaching through subsidiary CMA PSO, and access to the Confidential Line for physician wellness. CMA also operates the CALPAC political action committee and runs legislative advocacy campaigns that have shaped California health policy.

Product overview

The California Medical Association (CMA) is a membership-based professional organization representing over 50,000 California physicians. CMA provides a unified platform of member services including advocacy, practice management resources, legal support through the Health Law Library/California Physician's Legal Handbook (CPLH), continuing medical education (CME) accreditation, reimbursement assistance through the Center for Economic Services, practice transformation support via CMA PSO, and the CMADocs mobile app. Key programs include the Confidential Line for physician wellness, CALPAC political advocacy, Aledade ACO partnerships for value-based care, and the CMADocs Career Center. The organization also sponsors legislation including AI disclosure requirements (AB 489), prior authorization reforms (AB 512, SB 306), corporate practice of medicine protections (SB 351), and vaccine access safeguards (AB 144).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMA PSO (Physician Services Organization): A subsidiary focused on practice transformation and management services for California physicians, providing at-the-elbow coaching and technical assistance support.

Products and services

• CMA Membership (Individual, Organizational, Medical Staff, Student/Resident) Tiered membership offering for individual physicians, medical groups, hospital medical staffs, and students/residents providing access to advocacy, legal resources, reimbursement assistance, CME, and practice management support.
• Health Law Library (California Physician's Legal Handbook) Nearly 5,000 pages of searchable legal information on health law, peer review, and payor contracting available to members through the California Physician's Legal Handbook (CPLH).
• Reimbursement Assistance (Center for Economic Services) Direct intervention with payors and regulators, plus one-on-one practice management assistance, helping physician practices resolve claims, contract issues, and reimbursement disputes.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) Accreditation ACCME-recognized CME accreditation, accredited CME activities, provider resources, and joint providership opportunities for California physicians and CME providers.
• Practice Management Tools Resources and guidance from CMA's Center for Economic Services covering out-of-network billing, Medicare, contracting, and reimbursement topics to improve practice success.
• Legal Information Line Legal information service for CMA members covering laws and regulations impacting medical practice, with referrals to state agencies and other resources.
• Physicians' and Dentists' Confidential Line Confidential 24/7 hotline (213-383-2691) for physicians and dentists experiencing stress, substance abuse, or mental health issues, with referrals to experienced professionals.
• Practice Transformation (CMA PSO) At-the-elbow coaching and technical assistance to help practices meet changing healthcare demands, including support for value-based care and ACO participation, delivered through CMA's wholly-owned subsidiary.
• CMADocs Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS and Android providing daily news, events calendar, resource library, and engagement content for CMA members and California physicians.
• CMADocs Career Center Comprehensive database of physician job postings and career resources for California physicians.

Quantifiable outcome

• $50.1 million recoupped from payors on behalf of members since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aledade Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CMA collaborates with Aledade to promote value-based care and accountable care organizations (ACOs). The partnership encourages independent primary care practices and community health centers to join Aledade's ACO. California practices earned $31 million in shared savings in 2022 through this collaboration.
• California Attorney GeneralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA and the California Attorney General are advocating for different interpretations of corporate practice of medicine laws, which could reshape PC/MSO structures. CMA has filed amicus briefs in federal court to influence this legal interpretation.
• Service Employees International Union Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW)minorOthersCMA opposes the Billionaire Tax Act backed by SEIU-UHW, citing concerns over long-term Medi-Cal funding volatility. CMA Board of Trustees voted to oppose the measure.
• California Dental AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA co-sponsored SB 351 with the California Dental Association, a law strengthening the ban on corporate practice of medicine/dentistry by explicitly barring private equity interference in clinical decision-making.
• American Medical AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA works with AMA on federal advocacy including Medicare payment reform, prior authorization reform, surprise billing protections, and Truth in Advertising law defense.
• California School Boards AssociationminorOthersCMA joined California School Boards Association and other organizations in launching an opposition committee to the Billionaire Tax Act.
• California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCMA escalated payer disputes to DMHC for enforcement action, including the Anthem maternity claims dispute where $24-29 million was restored to physicians.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois State Medical Society: State medical society representing Illinois physicians with advocacy, legal, and practice management services. Comparable member-based nonprofit structure to CMA, focused on state-level policy influence.
• Florida Medical Association: State-level physician membership association serving Florida physicians with advocacy, practice resources, and CME. Comparable business model and member services to CMA, though smaller membership base than California.
• Medical Association of Georgia: State medical association serving Georgia physicians with advocacy and practice resources. Directly comparable peer as a regional state medical society with similar membership model and advocacy focus.
• Texas Medical Association: Closest peer as a large state-level medical association with similar advocacy, legal resources, CME, and practice management services. Texas Medical Association even shares California-style surprise billing litigation strategy. Same membership model, similar revenue streams, comparable scale to CMA.
• Pennsylvania Medical Society: State-level physician membership association serving Pennsylvania with advocacy, practice resources, and CME. Similar structure and member services portfolio to CMA.
• Massachusetts Medical Society: One of the oldest state medical societies in the U.S., publishing the New England Journal of Medicine. Offers similar membership benefits, advocacy, and CME accreditation as CMA, with comparable physician advocacy focus.
• Medical Society of the State of New York: State medical society representing New York physicians with advocacy, legal, and practice management services. Directly comparable as an established state medical association with similar membership tiers and policy advocacy focus.

Regional players

• California Dental Association: California's parallel dental professional association that actively co-sponsors legislation with CMA (e.g., SB 351). Comparable membership model serving California healthcare professionals with similar advocacy, practice support, and CME offerings.

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Association: The national umbrella physician association with overlapping membership, advocacy, and CME accreditation. AMA serves physicians across all states including California, where CMA already coordinates on federal advocacy through partnership. Same membership-based nonprofit model, broader geographic scope.
• American College of Physicians: Large national internal medicine specialty society that competes for the same California physician dues dollars as CMA. Offers CME, advocacy, and practice resources with a specialty-focused vertical value proposition versus CMA's horizontal coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmadocs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cmadocs
• Facebookfacebook.com/cmadocs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmadocs
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmadocs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Medical Association