Doctors Support New Bill
by Jennifer Bunn, RNThe new health care legislation reform bill which will be put to a vote March 21, 2010 has gained the support of American doctors and the AMA- perhaps not their unqualified support, but support nevertheless.
Doctors have expressed concern that further debate will only make a bad situation worse, and although the new bill is not exactly as they wish it could be, it is better than the current state of affairs. They expressed their concern that delaying health reform longer will only mean that more patients will lose access to medical care. These patients are often forced to use the emergency room for their medical needs. Primary care is not within their grasp, and prevention is a concept they do not have the luxury of debating. These patients who lack insurance come to the hospital sicker and do not enjoy good health, often dying younger than their counterparts with insurance.
The AMA has taken exception to several proposals in the legislation, such as:
- Medicare’s proposed 21.2% pay cut that could take place later this year (which may force some doctors to stop accepting Medicare patients in their practices)
- No support for tort reform, such as placing a cap on damages awarded in malpractice cases
- Regulations which could ban the ownership of hospitals by doctors (doctors argue that it shouldn’t matter who owns the hospital)
These are just a few of the concerns that the AMA is hoping will be addressed eventually, but for now everyone agrees that some sort of change is needed. The rest can be argued over at a later time (and undoubtedly will be).
