AMA backs House health reform bills while other groups seek changes to Senate bill

As the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate ready their health care reform bills, the American Medical Association (AMA) and several other major medical associations are weighing in on prospective legislation.

In a press conference today, AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, announced the organization’s support of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), and a companion bill that would repeal the physician payment formula, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 3961).

“These are separate bills but they must be passed together,” Rohack said. “Both are essential to achieving meaningful health system reform this year.”

Rohack conceded that H.R. 3962 is not a perfect representation of the AMA’s views on health system reform, but said the measures in the bill were consistent with a majority of the group’s goals.

Widespread coverage

He said the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill would provide coverage for nearly 96% of legal, non-elderly U.S. citizens. It also includes market reform, improves coverage for preventive services, establishes a health insurance exchange and addresses the shortage of primary care physicians in rural and low-income areas.

Rohack also noted that Medicare physicians face a 21% payment cut in less than 60 days as well as additional cuts in the future that could limit access to care for seniors and military families.

“H.R. 3961 would stop these payment cuts and institute a realistic way to pay physicians under Medicare that reflects the actual costs of medical care,” Rohack said in the press conference. “This legislation is not perfect, but this debate is not over and the work is not done. The AMA will continue to work constructively with members of Congress and the White House to improve legislation and to make sure that the voices of physicians and our patients are heard as this legislation continues on through the process and beyond.”

Surgical coalition seeks changes to bill

Meanwhile, a coalition of 20 surgical organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate yesterday warning that they will oppose the Senate’s health care reform bill unless changes are made to the proposed legislation.

The group affirms that the current bill would limit patients’ access to specialty care, may impede quality care and fails to address problems that cripple the health care system.

The coalition, led by the American College of Surgeons, represents more than 240,000 members of various medical groups, including the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the sister organization of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Other medical groups represented include the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

“The AAOS has called for meaningful health care reform for decades,” AAOS President Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, said in a press release. “We, along with other surgical associations, are committed to working for health care reform that makes surgical care more accessible to Americans. The AAOS cannot lend its support to any legislation that does not expand Americans’ access to quality care.”

Payment formula scrutinized

According to the release, the groups said that they will oppose the bill if certain measures of the Senate Committee Finance bill are included in the final legislation.

The surgical groups noted that the bill fails to permanently fix the Medicare Physician Payment Formula and lacks medical liability reforms. In addition, the groups are against several expected provisions of the bill, including mandatory participation in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, reimbursement changes and shifting the authority of making Medicare payment and coverage decisions to an unelected executive branch agency.

The AAOS has proposed several programs, such as the American Joint Replacement Registry, that are aimed at improving quality, decreasing costs and improving patient access to care. The group estimates that the national registry project could save more than $1.3 billion over 20 years.

“After examining specific aspects of the Senate’s health care proposals, we believe that the bill will not address these concerns,” Zuckerman said in the press release. “We remain ready, willing and able to be a helpful participant in improving this legislation. Should the deficiencies of the bill not be addressed, we, along with [others in] the surgical community, must announce our opposition.”

Reference:

• www.aaos.org
• www.ama-assn.org