The following resolution is being considered by the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association at their meeting in Chicago this week.
American Medical Association House of Delegates
Resolution: 121 (A-03)
Introduced by: Illinois Delegation
Subject: Single Payor
Referred to: Reference Committee A (Kevin T. Flaherty, MD, Chair)
Whereas, A major push for universal health coverage is now underway; and
Whereas, Some individuals in our country think that the best way to achieve universal coverage is through a single payor run by our federal government; and
Whereas, A single payor form of universal coverage will manifest all of the current problems of Medicare, but on a much larger scale; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association vigorously oppose any single payor program of health care coverage. (Reaffirm HOD Policy)
Fiscal Note: No Significant Fiscal Impact
Received: 5/7/03
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/upload/mm/annual03/a121a03.doc
Comment: If we can’t even teach AMA members how to spell “payer,” how can we ever expect them to understand the complexities of the single payer model of reform?
Seriously, the AMA House of Delegates is considering a report on health insurance market regulation. The following recommendations from the report indicate that the AMA still doesn’t seem to grasp the fact that our insurance system should protect patients – all patients – and not private insurers.
Excerpts from the report:
(f) Guaranteed renewability regulations and multi-year contracts may include provisions allowing insurers to single out individuals for rate changes or other incentives related to changes in controllable lifestyle choices.
(g) Guaranteed issue regulations should be rescinded.
(h) Insured individuals wishing to switch plans should be subject to a lesser degree of risk rating and pre-existing conditions limitations than individuals who are newly seeking coverage.
(i) The regulatory environment should enable rather than impede private market innovation in product development and purchasing arrangements. Specifically: (ii) Benefit mandates should be minimized to allow markets to determine benefit packages and permit a wide choice of coverage options.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/upload/mm/annual03/cms7a03.doc