AMA Endorses House Health Reform Bill

CHICAGO — The American Medical Association on Thursday endorsed a liberal health overhaul bill that includes a public insurance option, a bold step for a traditionally conservative group with a checkered past on health reforms.

In its strongest action yet signaling support for President Barack Obama's vow to reform health care, the nation's largest doctors' group sent letters to three House committees behind the bill. The letters, signed by AMA's executive vice president, Dr. Michael Maves, said the AMA appreciates and supports what is being called America's Affordable Health Choices Act.

The bill would create a health insurance exchange, or "marketplace for individuals and small employers to comparison shop among private and public insurers." It wouldn't force patients or doctors into plans – a fear some physicians have had about the concept of public health insurance.

Another selling point is the bill's proposed Medicare reforms, including repeal of what AMA considers a flawed formula that has annually reduced Medicare reimbursements to physicians.

But the public option proposal is most controversial for the AMA; some member physicians at the group's annual meeting last month likened the notion to communism.

A personal appeal from Obama at the Chicago meeting won over some doctors and the group's policy-making delegates ended up adopting a measure signaling openness to reform that includes a public option. Obama said in a Thursday statement he was "grateful that the doctors of the AMA have chosen to support" the health insurance reform.

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal think-tank, called the AMA's endorsement "a tremendous coup." He said it could create momentum for other groups to back Obama's health reform efforts and make opposing Republicans seem like obstructionists.

The bill's proposed public health option would create a new choice in places now dominated by one or two private insurers, according to a summary of the bill on the House Ways and Means Committee Web site. "It will be subject to the same market reforms and consumer protections as other private plans in the exchange and it will be self-sustaining – financed only by its premiums," the summary says.

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Dr. J. James Rohack, AMA's president, told The Associated Press that the group's endorsement shouldn't be seen as the AMA turning more liberal.

"It's not blue or red, or Democratic or Republican. This is something that is the AMA's core values," Rohack said. "The status quo that is 50 million Americans not having health insurance, a system that has administrative waste and as a result drives up premiums so that it is unaffordable for many patients – that is just not acceptable."

The AMA has long believed any health system reform can be achieved by revamping private health insurance plans. It fought the creation of Medicare and succeeded in delaying its debut decades ago. That was when it had more clout; its membership has dwindled to include barely one-fourth of the nation's doctors.

Still, it remains a vigorous lobbyist, and Baker said its full-hearted backing of a proposal that includes a public option could be a turning point.

"I was certainly surprised," he said. "I didn't really expect them to be on board."

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On the Net:

AMA: http://www.ama-assn.org

Comments

[wessybeck]

No surprise about the AMA---they are a Washington lobbying group that don't represent practicing physicians and haven't for years!!! Virtually all physicians I know are strongly against the reform bill as we envision how difficult it will be for smaller hospitals to survive ...When all patient's are on medicaid type rates that the public plan will certainly pay the revenues will fall dramatically..The other major issue is continuing to provide services to illegal immigrants---this costs money that the government and smaller communities do not have...This issue should be at the top of the list for meaningful control of health care costs...I can only imagine the costs savings we would reap if they were sent back to Mexico....Problem is the Dems in power don't want to lose potential votes....The other issue they haven't addressed is tort reform..I guess lawyers don't want to cause revenue losses for other lawyers. Finally, why is it that congress will not fall into this plan???Hmmm.

[zyodei]

Sure they support it. It will set in cement the monopoly that this one, single system of health care - out of the hundreds that exist around the world - have on the American bodies, psyche, and pocketbook.

Rearrange the details, while leaving the fundamental structure intact, and stronger than ever, by discouraging people to look outside it.

This system is a tremendous gift to the status quo.

[loki]

Big pharma happy. AMA happy. Im sure the insurance companies are ecstatic. They all know the golden pie is about to be handed to them on a platinum platter. The end is near. the public option will only meant that the public has the mandatory option to make the industry richer than they could ever dream of, and they have the option to pay more, or not get care.
once again. the people will be screwed, and American mafia capitalism will get richer.

[DemoGoddes]

I have relatives living in Massachusetts. They say that the health care plan there is a joke, and it looks like the plan the Obama Administration is working on is a repeat of that. Single Payer would make more sense and be the most effective but the Health Insurance "industry" will never allow it.

[chriss0114]

This MUST be a BAD sign

[naschkatze]

It's a warning to us to take a second look when the AMA signs on to a health bill.

[GoodFeathers]

Anything other than a single payer universal health insurance is not a true health reform.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Hmmm....what about the details of the plan and its costs?

[Chaimirija]

20081109
If a new healthcare policy will require insurance companies to accept everyone, regardless of preexisting conditions, these companies want the government to require every American to buy coverage, or suffer a tax penalty. The board of the America's Health Insurance Plans endorsed such an arrangement this week, offering support to an impending change from the current system.

The president of the group said:

We're going to provide all the technical background that we have assembled, all the experience we've assembled at the state level, and we're going to work very hard with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. We want to make sure that whatever reforms are advanced, no one falls through the cracks.

[loveobamas]

I hope there are ads being made as I type this targeting every one of the bluedogs who might vote against this using this endorsement

[karl51]

I have a question. If we the people can get something like a proposition put on the ballot such as prop 8 in California with x amount of signatures that becomes law then why can't we the people get some kind of proposition on the national ballet for single payer health care? Bypass the politicians and get what the people overwhelmingly want. My question - is this possible? If yes then let's do it!

[Chernynkaya]

It would have to be as an amendment to the US Constitution- that's how it came about in the states that have it which means ratified by 50 states.

And the Initiative process was put in place overwhelmingly by populists for exactly the same reason you state- to get what we demand from corrupt politicians. But be careful what you wish for. You used Prop 8 as an example-sometimes the Proposition can be used against minorities. I am sure that, at least in the South, the repeal of voting rights might have passes by initiative. It's a big country, with lots of divisions.

[Christian]

I'd say they may have heard from a lot of doctors in the field which they are not used to. They usually listen to the business doctors and writers, not the doctors that are out there dealing with the sick and fighting to make them well. There were some high profile doctors turning in their membership in protest.

[smchp]

This seems like nothing short of a miracle to me but I think even they see the writing on the wall.

[johnsopinion]

"AMA Endorses House Health Reform Bill"

I'll bet doctors got more than "protection" by endorsing
this bill. Wonder what?

[Chaimirija]

20081109
If a new healthcare policy will require insurance companies to accept everyone, regardless of preexisting conditions, these companies want the government to require every American to buy coverage, or suffer a tax penalty. The board of the America's Health Insurance Plans endorsed such an arrangement this week, offering support to an impending change from the current system.

The president of the group said:

We're going to provide all the technical background that we have assembled, all the experience we've assembled at the state level, and we're going to work very hard with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. We want to make sure that whatever reforms are advanced, no one falls through the cracks.

[nurse92]

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2009/07/17/susan-estrich-obama-qahcaa-health-care-plan-almost-laughable
Even libs think the current bill is a joke.

[Debbie1996]

Well we know that the bill doesn't include forcing the AMA to allow more licensed doctors. Supply and demand people - as long as we allow the pool of doctors to be kept artificially low, we cannot drive costs out of the system.

[sosi]

This bill is no good; otherwise AMA, one real problem, would have never endorsed it. Single Payer!

[Chernynkaya]

I don't like the bill either, but even so, I was surprised that they endorsed it. It must be even worse than I thought.