About the Organization

The Cooperative of American Physicians is a physician-founded organization established in 1975 and based in California. It provides medical professional liability coverage and risk management benefits to over 13,000 California physicians through its Mutual Protection Trust. The Federal PAC is the political vehicle CAP operates to advance its policy interests at the federal level.

According to CAP's website, the Board of Trustees believes that using dues to fund political action committees for public policy efforts is vitally important to keeping medical professional liability protection affordable in California. CAP's stated public affairs mission is to maintain an active public affairs role, vigilantly focusing on issues impacting patient access to care and physician engagement through advocacy, education, and thought leadership. The PAC's work is specifically tied to preserving MICRA, the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, and educating policymakers on why it promotes quality, affordable healthcare.

Supporters of the PAC's mission argue that tort reform protects both physicians and patients. The American Medical Association contends that MICRA-style damage caps help provide predictability for insurers and create a more stable and affordable medical liability insurance market for physicians, which helps maintain patient access to high-quality care. The Doctors Company states that MICRA was enacted in 1975 in response to skyrocketing judgments, drastic increases in malpractice insurance premiums, and diminishing access to healthcare.

Critics contend that the PAC's focus on preserving damage caps harms injured patients. Patient advocates and plaintiff attorneys argue that MICRA's non-economic damage caps are fundamentally unfair to victims with severe, life-altering injuries, particularly those who are children, retirees, or low-wage earners who cannot demonstrate large lost-income claims.

Plaintiff Magazine and legal scholars argue that MICRA's attorney fee caps create a structural barrier that effectively prevents many injured patients from finding legal representation. The American Bar Association does not support tort reform, arguing that damage caps restrict patient rights. Attorney Michael C. George argues that policymakers overlook the substantial financial and human costs that victims of medical malpractice endure, choosing instead to pass laws to restrict patient rights.

Academic research published in the Research Archive of Rising Scholars raises a concern that while tort reform promotes affordability, it may reduce the accountability incentive for negligent providers, potentially allowing substandard care to go unchecked. Law firms like Hodes Milman argue that MICRA's provisions deprive injured patients of proper compensation for complex cases and that the framework has never been meaningfully updated to reflect decades of inflation.

Direct Contributions

The PAC contributed $30,000 to DR. RAUL RUIZ FOR CONGRESS. VARGAS FOR CONGRESS received $10,500. The PAC directed $5,000 each to BARRAGAN FOR CONGRESS, PAUL COOK FOR CONGRESS, ROBERT GARCIA FOR CONGRESS, and YOUNG KIM FOR CONGRESS. Stand with Sanchez received $4,500 across multiple transactions. The PAC also contributed $5,000 to Alex Padilla for Senate, $2,000 to Bill Cassidy for US Senate, $2,000 to Friends of John Barrasso, and $500 to Mike Garcia for Congress.

Independent Expenditures Support:

The PAC made no independent expenditures supporting candidates during the 2026 cycle through July 31.

Independent Expenditures Oppose:

The PAC made no independent expenditures during the 2026 cycle through July 31. The committee reported zero opposition spending across all races and contests. The PAC's disbursement activity was limited to direct committee contributions and administrative expenses rather than opposition-focused independent campaigns.

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