Opinion By AMA president
American Medical News
May 20, 2002
Richard F. Corlin, MD
"... Congress should change current rules that require physicians to participate in Medicare on an 'all-or-nothing basis,' regardless of our patients' income or wealth. Physicians should have the freedom to decide, on a patient-by-patient basis, whether services are rendered under a 'private contract' or subject to Medicare payment limits."
<http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/amn_02/edca0520.htm>http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/amn_02/edca0520.htm
Comment: The experience in other nations has documented that parallel private and public plans result in chronic under-funding of the public program with the development of queues. Physicians then cater to the more lucrative private patients who are able to purchase their place at the front of the queue, and they neglect the patients in the public program, causing the queues to grow longer.
For over a century, conservatives have maintained a lock on the leadership of the American Medical Association. Efforts to establish objectivity in policy discussions have been repeatedly rebuffed by those in control. Perhaps this is why the AMA membership has declined from 85% to 28% in the past few decades.
The accelerating deterioration in access, coverage and costs mandates reform now. The AMA's pious pomposity has resulted in the egregious neglect of reform that is in the interests of patients. The majority of physicians do support reform that would assure comprehensive care for everyone.
Physicians for a National Health Program is a single issue organization that advocates for a universal, comprehensive national health care program. All physicians should study the policy proposals on the PNHP website (www.pnhp.org) and the AMA website (<www.ama-assn.org">http://www.ama-assn.org>www.ama-assn.org). It is clear that the AMA policies would compound inequities and further impair access, whereas PNHP policies would assure comprehensive services for everyone. Those physicians that really care should join PNHP and encourage their colleagues to do so as well. A strong, united voice of concerned and caring physicians can ignite the flame of reform.
For those that do care but are not yet members, go to www.pnhp.org and click on "Join PNHP." Do it now.
Beth Capell, Ph.D., on AMA President Corlin's comment on allowing "private contracts" for Medicare:
Great to see that the AMA still opposes Medicare after all these years!! One of the greatest boons to physician incomes as well as essential for seniors and AMA opposes it.
Actually, Corlin does not propose queuing: he proposes being allowed to ignore the low and moderate income Medicare patients entirely. That's worse.
Beth Capell, on behalf of Health Access.
Comment: In sharp contrast to the AMA, Physicians for a National Health Program supports "Better than Medicare" for our seniors and for everyone in our nation. PNHP supports changes that would include all beneficial services, including prescription drugs, long term care, mental health services, dental, and eye care, while assuring affordability by eliminating out-of-pocket expenses. The California HCOP study and other studies confirm that this can be done without increasing overall health care costs.
Strengthen the voice of PNHP. Join today.
www.pnhp.org and click on "Join PNHP"