AMA Reverses Position, Says Open To Government-Funded Insurance

CNN:

(CNN) -- The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation's doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.

Dr. J. James Rohack told CNN that the AMA supports an "American model" that includes both "a private system and a public system, working together."

Read the whole story: CNN

Comments

[careforall]

I wish there is a patient-doctor association just like a PTA .... working toward better care together.

Instead, politicians, lawyers, cooperations are manipulating the doctor-patient relationship..

Do you think it is by accident that the government announce the medicare fraud case this week?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/24/national/main5109783.shtml

Americans, your doctors are bad, greedy and the biggest enemies in your care. Make them suffer so they can take better care of you.

If they don't spend the next 5-10 years to sue them, I promise I will not change the malpractice system. I will protect your lawyers. Your lawyer will make millions; a happy lawyer makes a healthier patient.

Manufacturing consent .... The oldest game in Washington... CHANGE WE CAN (except for trial lawyers)...LOL

[olmossy]

Maybe they should take a closer look at Mcallen Texas who for some unk reason spends more than usual for services.

[lysistrata]

According to Senators Snow R and Nelson D a government option would make insurance too cheap and would be unfair competition for the privates. I could not have said it better. Now that they have lost the argument about affordability, choice of doctors, portability, coverage for pre-existing conditions and more they have to pull up the lawyers and malpractice insurance. It is the lawyers making health care expensive, just never the insurance industry. It is the insurance industry making malpractice expensive. They charge doctors sky high premiums, the payouts are moderate to say the least.

[rf dude]

The medical profession is always slow to adopt new technology - and for good reason.

But here, the MDs see a chance to get in line with the Bankers to fill their money bags from the Gov'mint coffers, so they're " fast tracking" the adoption of this new paradigm...
--

[careforall]

right....MRI, Gamma knife...ECMO....
No technology here...
I am spending so much time learning filling out these new forms from the insurance company and the government on-line; I forgot to steal from my patients and the BIG brother...
Thanks for reminding me to make a paradigm shift...

[tubette]

perhaps they are just seeing the error or their ways when Medicare came about.... the MDs aren't the problem with our healthcare.... it's the for profit insurance companies.

[careforall]

Mr. President,
Why you refuse to put cap on the attorneys' fee?
How much did they contribute to your campaign?
http://abajournal.com/news/trial_lawyers_shift_from_edwards_to_obama/

[undecidedaboutPOTUS]

"do you do correspondence courses? =)"
In a word absolutely!

[alice09]

Well, well, well a little late to the party but at least.
Since they took this position without polling members and many resigned as a result, perhaps they were moved to see the light..

[M1]

Single payer is the only real Healthcare reform but the Politicos managed to change the subject and everyone is following suit. Shut down are the voices calling for single payer. Now the cry is for a public plan option. Already we have lost.

Keep fighting for single payer and we might get the public option plan but ask for the public option plan and you will end up with....not much!

[Weirdwriter]

Please explain your plan for getting Congress to pass a single-payer plan. There is far less opposition for the public plan.

[quiviran]

I just want Congress to go on record voting single payer down. If we can get therm on record the problem will be solved in Nov 2010.

[TuoulumneFlower]

It's time for a massive march on Washington in support of single payer. Let's make it clear we're not falling for another bait-and-switch. Write, phone, and let's march. Insurance companies, drug companies, and the AMA are the worst of the worst, literally profiting off of people dying, literally bankrupting good folks all over this country, for a bit more flithy lucre for themselves. Doctors are in an awful Catch-22; I wish many more of them would quit the AMA and said why, loudly.

This "system" is beyond appalling and we should stop accepting it.

[RnR]

What I'm suspicious of, is that the "government" option will be used to make health care insurance mandatory and where will those who do not have health care NOW because they can't afford it get the money?

You've got the silver spooners in Washington pretending they understand. That alone is scary enough.

[Weirdwriter]

People are unlikely to be thrown in jail if they don't buy health insurance. But they could be ruined if they don't. It already happens now.

[novas]

It doesn't appear to me that the suggested "government funded" option here will do anything for me and others in the same boat (underemployed and employer does not offer health insurance.) If this scenario is loosely based on the Federal Employees Health Benefit plans - there are still premiums to be paid by the employee. Single payer option is the most humane option and it isn't even being considered?

[Weirdwriter]

Congress won't consider it. Too many in the pockets of the insurance industry.

But a public health option does not have to be purchased through an employer. Anyone can buy into it, same as if you were able to buy insurance on your own.

[careforall]

I AM A DOCTOR but I am NOT a member of AMA.

I also voted for the President.

BUT He is WRONG by being an advocate for the trial lawyers.

A cap on attorneys' fee will cut cost and improve physician-patient relationship.

I think it is very disingenuous to ask everyone to work together; except for the trial lawyers who one of his biggest donors.

P.S. I only gave $50...I was a medical student...

[ladybastet]

YOU are totally lying about that! I don't believe you in the least! Trial lawyers are the LEAST of your worries if you are a good doctor.

[DrHuffington]

Malpractice INSURANCE....ever heard of it?

[careforall]

Good doctors gets sue everyday.
Even if you did nothing wrong, you still have to spend time and money defend yourself.
What is wrong to keep a cap at the attorneys' fee...let the money go to the patients who are hurt.

[careforall]

Yes I am lying.
All lawyers are not greedy.
All good doctors don't make mistakes.
Once bad doctors gets sue they will not touch another patient again.

Honey, can I sell you a bridge....

[careforall]

for sure... i am totally lying...
don't you think B is so hot :)

[DrHuffington]

Exactly, but did you read the article.
"Rohack also called for efficiency measures such as electronic record-keeping to reduce administrative costs, as well as protection for doctors from excessive malpractice lawsuits."

Obviously, Rohack has been talking with someone within the administration and excessive malpractice lawsuits were key to reaching a compromise. In addition, did you notice that the AMA is backing a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage?

[careforall]

DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAY AT THE AMA meeting and today...
"There will be no cap on malpractice..."

AMA is a joke. It failed to get the money from the insurance company and the lawyers and give it to their patient.
The American Trial Lawyer Association is telling him what to say at every speech.

http://abajournal.com/news/trial_lawyers_shift_from_edwards_to_obama/

They even pick the VP.

Do you think it is by accident that government announce the bigt medicare fraud case this week? Doctors are the problems Americans.

Stick with taking care of your patients... this is their game... something they did not teach you in med school...

Manufacturing consent .... The oldest game in Washington... CHANGE WE CAN (except for trial lawyers my dearest and biggest donors)...LOL

[RZoroaster]

Careforall, you're only shooting yourself in the foot by rejecting the AMA. Like it or not when the government wants to know what doctors think that's where they go.

In fact, if you were part of the AMA, as I am, then you might have gone to their annual conference last month, as I did, and learned from several senators and members of the House that tort reform will be a major part of the final healthcare bill. The only reason no one's talking about it right now is because its not controversial.

So there you go. You're all upset over nothing.

[careforall]

I hope that is true.
Sorry, I was taking care of patients. I am a young doctor; got to earn a living.

But the President say it again and again that there will be "No Cap on malpractice?"
It fact to your face at the AMA meeting. Why?

If there is ture tort reform as part of this bill and the premium of malpractice significant goes down, I will:
1.) make a public apology to the AMA
2.) I will immediately join the AMA as a lifetime member

What will you do if I am right?

[careforall]

It is important that "organized" medicine do not speak for all doctors. In fact, the public image of AMA is as good as the tobacco company.

What kind of credibility do AMA have when it "reverse" itself so quick and so public.

"Mrs. Smith..you don't have cancer after all... we change our mind..."

The truth is AMA is not a major player in Washington. You guys could not get tort reform done with guys like Frist in power. You definitely will not get it with this President.

Look you guys let the politicians play you....

Doctors need a new voice. A voice that is in tune with time.

[Peabodies]

You sound like a broken record, careforall. Time to move on.

[Acebass]

They are hearing our voices but we can't be silent. We must keep up the pressure! Single payer is the only way to make it fair for all.

[careforall]

don't worry the American Trial Lawyers Association is the new AMA.

http://abajournal.com/news/trial_lawyers_shift_from_edwards_to_obama/

Power Corrupts...

[Weirdwriter]

Please explain how we can get Congress to pass single-payer. It's not as if President Obama can wave a magic wand.

He knows the support isn't there, and he's come up with a Plan B that is smart, hard to oppose, and will end the unfair insurance industry monopoly as we know it.

[lysistrata]

2/3rd of the people want national insurance, how much more support does he need? Any plan that is hard to oppose and would be bipartisan is no plan at all. The Republicans will fight any public option, even a watered down option, it will be window dressing and all will be the same. No change, we can't, the new party line.

[ladybastet]

undecidedaboutPOTUS do you do correspondence courses? =)

[undecidedaboutPOTUS]

yes

[careforall]

yeah.... start with some Chomsky..

[jazzman]

Wow right when Lieberman came out against a public option. How bizarre!!

[Ramus]

Connecticut is big health insurance headquarters heaven. I'm sure he has been bought by them.

[rhondadavis28]

someone filling his pockets

[careforall]

like the trial lawyers filling Obama's pocket

http://abajournal.com/news/trial_lawyers_shift_from_edwards_to_obama/

Every politician has a daddy...just the way it is....

[MSNichols]

We are watching and writing and paying attention. The "powers" are getting nervous.

Keep up the pressure and the good work.

[epiphany1234]

Seems to me Obama is purposefully not espousing single payer because he wants to give the private industry a chance to compete and get better. That will sit well with all the nay-sayers: those decrying "socialized medicine" and others clamoring for "choice", and those upset about a "mandate". Not forcing the privateers out of business will allow the public plan to get votes in Congress and then be put into law. Obama probably knows at heart that the public will eventually veer toward the public option,--which won't place constraints on their access to medical care such as they now experience--and once they begin singing the praises of the government plan, private industry will either rise to the same level or go out of business. And it can't be said Obama didn't give them a chance.

Seems like a win-win to me from Obama's standpoint.

[rhondadavis28]

agree!!!

[SolomonTheWise]

Hmmmm, never saw that way, but that is a pretty darn good theory!

[Weirdwriter]

Obama know he can't get anything this important passed without a majority in Congress. He doesn't have it for single payer. He's smart enough to come up with a Plan B that even the AMA sees could work.

We have to insist it won't be watered down. But there would be fewer lawsuits with fewer people feeling forced to sue to cover astronomical medical bills.

[beaupritchard]

That's just the last fall back wall ... what they really want is to take the public option off the table at any cost.