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AMA Supports the House Health Care Bill

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A significant development, MSNBC reports that the American Medical Association (AMA) has lent it’s support to the House Health Care bill.  The letter noted that they would like the bill out of committee and on the house floor.  A significant first step towards the bill’s passage.  A month earlier the AMA came out against health care reform and Republicans used that opposition as a talking point against reform.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the ‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,'” says Dr. Michael Maves, the AMA’s executive vice president and CEO.

“This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House.”

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Comments

  1. Wavering Democratic senators pose the greatest obstacle to the passage of health care reform, as the AMA shows its support.

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    p>Make a difference by choosing which Democratic senator to target with TV ads on the public option here:  http://vote.wewantthepublicopt…

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    p>The PCCC will air ads targeting the vote winners in their home states.  

  2. Perhaps this has something to do with the news from the CBO that the bills are not going to reduce health care costs?

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    p>TedF

    • HELP committee doesn’t have control over the cost drivers — has to be done by Finance.

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      p>

      This is true, but it’s also more complicated than that. First of all, the CBO has analyzed two bills so far: The Senate HELP Committee’s bill and the House’s so-called tri-committee bill. But, crucially, the HELP Committee doesn’t have jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid where many of these savings can–and likely will–be found. And, just as crucially, the CBO hasn’t scored those parts of the House bill either.

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      p>Here’s where I think we are: Good faith criticism from the CBO may well make the bill better. People will get freaked about cost control now — that’s good! As long as it’s done by addressing the real cost drivers as opposed to simply limiting access to care.

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      p>I’m less worried about the Republicans using this to kill the bill. I just don’t think that’ll happen at this point.

    • the bill is not complete there are somewhere around 180 Republican amendments to the bill.  Once on the house floor there is going to be a lot of pressure to reduce costs, some of that might be some of those Republican measures.  Obama has stated that he wants a bill that reduces costs.  The bill today and the bill that will be voted on will be different.  The CBO gave them a snapshot of where they are today.

  3. Or is it like other corrupted unions where the leadership have been infiltrated by political operatives who ignore their membership and represent special interests instead?

  6. Is it a good thing that the group most dedicated to specialist medicine, and their high compensation,  and also adverse to greater compensation for family practitioners and general practitioners, who are the kinds of MDs who serve the most people, and help people avoid specialist care by doing preventive medical practices?    

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    p>What compromises have been made to have the AMA endorse this?  

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