The delegates rejected a resolution introduced at the AMA’s Interim Meeting in Houston by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Society of General Surgeons and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Referring to the reform legislation, the resolution stated: “These bills go far beyond what is necessary to fix what is broken with our health care system, and they grant the federal government considerable new powers and authority, which could ultimately amount to a complete government takeover of health care and which is anathema to doctors and patients.”
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle before the vote, AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, explained the AMA’s support of the House reform bill, which the House passed on a vote of 220-215 votes on Nov. 7, when the AMA meeting started.
“It’s not a perfect bill. We supported it but didn’t endorse it, which would mean we agree with 100 percent of it,” Dr. Rohack said. “There’ll be resolutions about all aspects of the issue, pro and con, but generally we’ll try to refine the message and focus on what needs to be done immediately, as opposed to what would be good but isn’t crucial it happen right out of the box.”
He noted that Congress still needs to fix the scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements for physicians that is due to start on Jan. 1, 2010.
Read the Wall Street Journal Washington Wire’s report on the AMA’s support for health reform.
