| Subject: DJP Update 12-11-2009 500,000 physicians entered into Congressional Record opposing Senate bill, H.R. 3590; Reflections
Dateline: Plane change in Phoenix as I return to New Orleans after a meeting in California. Foreword: I did multiple radio interviews this past week. The host would ask, what do you think of the latest version of the Senate bill? I responded, what is the latest version? All we have are rumors. Why is this a secret, even kept from the majority of Senators! This is America! Let us see what is being sent to CBO. However, expansion of Medicare and Medicaid will be disasters. DJP Update 12-11-2009 500,000 physicians entered into Congressional Record opposing Senate bill, H.R. 3590; Reflections December 10, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD SENATE S12857 Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a list of physician organizations that oppose this act, representing nearly one-half million physicians, be printed in the RECORD. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPPOSE SENATE’S PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT To date over 40 state, county and national medical societies, representing nearly one half million physicians, have stated their public opposition to the Senate healthcare overhaul bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590). It is time for Congress to slow down, take a step back, and change the direction of current reform efforts to ensure that it is done right! NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, STATE AND COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS Various letters from the multiple medical coalitions also were printed. If anyone wants the entire printing of the pertinent pages from the Congressional Record, drop me an email and I will send the attachment. Many thanks to Katie Orrico, Director of the Washington Office of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/ Congress of Neurological Surgeons, for alerting me to this posting in the Congressional Record and forwarding the pages to me! Let me share one excerpt from a letter sent and printed in the Congressional Record citation above. I also will list the organizations that signed that letter as well as three former AMA presidents. “Senator Reid, we are at a critical moment in history. America’s physicians deliver the best medical care in the world, yet the systems that have been developed to finance the delivery of that care to patients have failed. With congressional action upon us, we are at a crossroads. One path accepts as ‘‘necessary’’ a substantial increase in federal government control over how medical care is delivered and financed. We believe the better path is one that allows patients and physicians to take a more direct role in their healthcare decisions. By encouraging patients to own their health insurance policies and by allowing them to freely exercise their right to privately contract with the physician of their choice, healthcare decisions will be made by patients and physicians and not by the government or other third party payers. “We urge you to slow down, take a step back, and change the direction of current reform efforts so we get it right for our patients and our profession. We have a prescription for reform that will work for all Americans, and we are happy to share these solutions with you to improve our nation’s healthcare system. “Thank you for considering our views. Sincerely,” Past Presidents of the American Medical Association: Daniel H. Johnson, Jr., MD, AMA President 1996-1997; Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD, FACS, AMA President 2003-2004; William G. Plested, III, MD, FACS, AMA President 2006-2007 —— Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Montana for his courtesy. ——– Reflections: Ideas and actions have consequences! When physicians stand up, the message gets out. Wouldn’t it be nice if AMA took out ads and wrote letters to Congress pointing out that the hallmark of the Free Enterprise System is the right to privately contract! And strongly advocated AMA policy which is “among our highest advocacy priorities”, namely, the AMA will “actively and publicly support the inclusion in health system reform legislation the right of patients and physicians to privately contract, without penalty to patient or physician.†After all, that is the policy! To put this concept as an addendum in a letter does not, in my opinion, carry out the mandate of actively and publicly supporting the inclusion. Millions have been spent in the co-sponsored ads with AARP. These ads are too nebulous and can be interpreted to mean many difference changes in health system reform. AMA should consult with the Geico people who use the Gecko ad approach. That delivers a message! Or the Ally Bank ads about the promise of a real toy truck and then a paper truck is given (failure to read fine print). Does this remind you of bills being pushed in Congress? See “It is a piece of Junk” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKdIKP1arF0 for sample of one of the ads. Liberty is the absence of coercion. Let’s not give up liberty by default. On the positive side, thanks to AMA following policy to oppose expansion of Medicare, a system going bankrupt, and publicly stating so! Onward. Don’t falter. We can win this battle for our patients and colleagues! The outcome of the upcoming short and intense debate will affect Medicine for decades and could drastically influence the financial viability of America. Congress can’t keep building up debts and opening new credit cards to pay off the debts. One day the bill collector knocks on the door! “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt still would be a good book for Congress to read. Stay well, Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD This DJP Update goes to 2181 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends. |