American Medical Association

Better or Worse

Mike Lux | Posted 12.11.2009 | Politics


Mike Lux

All the good things announced in Tuesday night's compromise are under vicious assault by the health industry lobbies, and the bad things still might get negotiated for the better in conference.

Waffling Democrats' Health Care Hypocrisy

Peter Dreier | Posted 12.02.2009 | Politics


Peter Dreier

After years of feeding at the health insurance industry trough, it's no wonder these conservative Democratic senators oppose a public option plan to compete for consumers.

Health Care Debate Looms Large At Thanksgiving

Jerry Chautin | Posted 11.23.2009 | Politics


Jerry Chautin

Turkey, cranberry sauce, and a side of health care debate is dominating Thanksgiving tables this year. The debate gets more heated when some worry that their situation will be adversely affected.

I Am a Scorpion. It Is My Nature.

Aaron E. Carroll | Posted 11.17.2009 | Politics


Aaron E. Carroll

The fable, as it is told, involves a scorpion and a frog.  The scorpion needs to cross a river, so he asks the frog to carry him on his back.&nbs...

AMA Votes To Seek Repeal Of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

AP | LINDSEY TANNER | Posted 11.10.2009 | Politics


CHICAGO — The American Medical Association on Tuesday voted to oppose the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and declared that gay marri...

AMA, AARP Support House Health Care Bill

AP | Posted 11.05.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is trumpeting endorsements from the AARP and the American Medical Association of House Democrats' health car...

AMA Faces Revolt After Humiliating Senate Defeat

AP | JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | Posted 10.28.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — Does the AMA matter in the health care debate? Congress is beginning to have its doubts, despite the medical association's deep poc...

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Barbara Coombs Lee | Posted 11.06.2009 | Politics


Barbara Coombs Lee

End of life choice is the human liberty movement of the twenty-first century. This is the arena where dignity and liberty stride forward today. The struggle for end-of-life choices is a movement whose time has come.

Lessons From Letterman in Health Reform

Robert Reich | Posted 10.19.2009 | Politics


Robert Reich

If Obama doesn't weigh in forcefully and say "no" to the hush money arranged in January for Big Pharma, big insurance, and the AMA, America's middle class will get walloped. And so will he in 2012.

HealthCare Focus: Quality versus Cost

Philip Lee Miller | Posted 10.08.2009 | Politics


Philip Lee Miller

Service, expertise, and time. Those are the real challenges of the Healthcare debate.

Is Eli Lilly Milking Cancer by Promoting and Treating It?

Jeffrey Smith | Posted 10.07.2009 | Business


Jeffrey Smith

Would Eli Lilly consciously risk our health just to increase their profit? What kind of company are they, and can we trust them with our food?

Meet UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley: Rich, Powerful, Not Yet Famous

Peter Dreier | Posted 10.06.2009 | Politics


Peter Dreier

Business as usual for Hemsley and UnitedHealth is a chronic pattern of abuse and neglect of its policy-holders, along with a powerful political influence-peddling operation that involves costly campaign contributions.

Why Medical Malpractice Reform Is Off Limits

wsj.com | PHILIP K. HOWARD | Posted 11.29.2009 | Politics


Eliminating defensive medicine could save upwards of $200 billion in health-care costs annually, according to estimates by the American Medical Associ...

Ignored by All Media: Major Health Care Provider Organizations Testify in Support of House Bill

Paul Abrams | Posted 11.17.2009 | Politics


Paul Abrams

It might do the media well to devote more than one segment to the reality that the major health care providers and established patient organizations support the President's health care reform.

Obama: Confident Congress Will Pass "Good Health Care Bill"

AP | STEVEN R. HURST | Posted 11.14.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama began a week that will dwell heavily on overhauling the health care system, declaring himself confident Cong...

Baucus Co-Op Plan "Authored" By Ex-Insurance Industry VP

Campaign Silo | Jane Hamsher | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics


When Max Baucus circulated his draft plan earlier this week, the PDF documentation page (image) indicates that the "author" was ex-Wellpoint VP Liz Fo...

New Jersey Doctors Getting Paid Extra To Save Hospitals Money

AP | GEOFF MULVIHILL | Posted 09.19.2009 | New York


MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — A dozen New Jersey hospitals are paying doctors as an incentive to save the hospitals money. The principle is known as gai...

The Truth About Socialized Medicine

Madeleine M. Kunin | Posted 09.12.2009 | Politics


Madeleine M. Kunin

Ronald Reagan turned out to be wrong. Most of us are so happy, in our sunset years, to have access to Medicare, and yes, we are still free.

AP Fact Check: No 'Death Panel' In Health Care Bill

AP | RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR | Posted 09.11.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says the health care overhaul bill would set up a "death panel." Federal ...

What Doctors Actually Endorse For Healthcare Reform (Hint: It's Not In This Bill)

Dr. Daniel Palestrant | Posted 08.23.2009 | Home


Dr. Daniel Palestrant

On July 16th, the American Medical Association endorsed the House Healthcare Reform Bill. Since then over 10,000 US physicians have used Sermo to voi...

Spinning Health Care: A Bad Case of Vertigo

Norman Solomon | Posted 08.23.2009 | Politics


Norman Solomon

A "public plan" coexisting with the private health insurance system is inherently reconciled to major inequality in access to health care.

Too Fat to Be a Surgeon General?

Linda Bergthold | Posted 08.21.2009 | Politics


Linda Bergthold

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance has taken up the cause of defending Surgeon General Nominee Benjamin. The discrimination against people of "weight" is real, and it is not something to joke about.

Why Physicians Always Get Screwed, Thanks AMA

Dr. Daniel Palestrant | Posted 08.20.2009 | Living


Dr. Daniel Palestrant

On July 16th, the AMA publicly endorsed the House Healthcare Reform Bill. Like many physicians in this country, I was shocked and surprised, given th...

Health Care Reform: The "Pedal to the Metal"

Miles J. Zaremski | Posted 08.17.2009 | Politics


Miles J. Zaremski

The nastier the attacks against health care reform become, the more worried opponents become that finally our country will get sorely needed reforms.

AMA Endorses House Health Reform Bill

AP | LINDSEY TANNER | Posted 08.16.2009 | Politics


CHICAGO — The American Medical Association on Thursday endorsed a liberal health overhaul bill that includes a public insurance option, a bold s...