Washington Times: Government Threat To World-class Medicine

[FirefightnRick]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/j...class-medicine/

What's more perplexing is the American Medical Association's (AMA) recent letter of support of the House health care bill (H.R. 3200), which ignores or violates many of AMA's most important legislative priorities and implements a government option that could restrict doctors' ability to provide patients with the care they need.

While we strongly support the AMA as an organization, we do not support this latest action.

The AMA's tacit endorsement of the public option in H.R. 3200 is in direct conflict with its long-standing policy, approved by the AMA House of Delegates, of reducing government interference with the work that goes on in a doctor's office or an operating room and is antithetical to what most doctors in America support. A government-controlled health care system, as we've seen in countries around the world, will lead to patients losing their current coverage and choice of doctor, long waiting lines for care, and a government formula to ration medical treatments.

In a land founded on liberty, it is wrong that the federal government would dictate to doctors what medical treatments can, or worse, cannot be given to their patients. Unfortunately, in nations around the world, this is already happening.

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As physicians, we have spent our adult lives caring for patients and advocating what is in their best interests. We've each had the privilege of being president of the AMA. But, instead of endorsing the government plan of health care contained in H.R. 3200, we believe the current health system reform must focus on three key points.

First, we should expand the choices of types of plan and access to primary and specialized care.

Second, every American should have the opportunity and the responsibility to choose and own the insurance plan that meets their needs and those of their family, with the periodic right to change if dissatisfied with the previous choice. Because the beneficiary owns the coverage, it is totally portable and not locked to specific employment.

Third, whoever puts up a subsidy (defined contribution) for the purchase of the insurance should put up the same subsidy, no matter what choice the person makes.

Rick