AMA (& AARP) Supports House Passage of Health System Reform

[kpete]

Source: Daily Kos

AMA Supports House Passage of Health System Reform

Will work with Congress and the administration to make critical changes that cannot be addressed through the reconciliation process

For immediate release:
March 19, 2010

Washington, D.C. – After careful review and consideration, the American Medical Association (AMA) today announced its qualified support for the current health reform bill as a step toward providing coverage to all Americans and improving our nation’s health system.

"The pending bill is imperfect, but we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good when it comes to something as important as the health of Americans," said J. James Rohack, M.D., AMA president. "By extending health coverage to the vast majority of the uninsured, improving competition and choice in the insurance marketplace, promoting prevention and wellness, reducing administrative burdens, and promoting clinical comparative effectiveness research, this bill will help patients and their physicians."

"While the final product is certainly not what we would have devised, we strongly support the parts of this bill that are desperately needed by millions of Americans who are struggling to get or keep health insurance coverage," Dr. Rohack said. "We will continue to work with Congress and the administration to solve important issues that cannot be addressed through the reconciliation process."

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/19/847861/-Breaking:-From-White-HouseAMA-annouces-support-for-bill

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UPDATE:
Doctors, AARP support new health overhaul bill
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/19/national/w093616D83.DTL&feed=rss.news

[Omaha Steve]

1. K&R!

[SandWalker1984]

2. AARP also backed the drug prescription bill, Medicare Part D

You know, the largest corporate giveaway to date in our history.


AARP is nothing more these days than a shill company that's main goal is to sell gap insurance to it's members.

[avaistheone1]

17. Very disturbing.

[GreenTea]

3. Kick it!

[Kingofalldems]

4. Kick and rec for the TSed freeper boy--Yeah!

[harvey007]

5. AARP Statement on Historic Health Insurance Reform Package

Source: AARP



WASHINGTON—Today, AARP Board Chair Bonnie M. Cramer, M.S.W., announced the Association’s support for health insurance reform legislation containing key reform provisions that will improve health care for older Americans and their families. For more than two years, AARP has fought for health insurance reform that helps Americans 50-plus get the care and medications they need at a price they can afford.

Read more: http://www.aarp.org/aarp/presscenter/pressrelease/articles/hcr_package_support.html

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AARP made this announcement today.

[tbyg52]

6. Huh. And we all know what *else* they have supported

and who they are supported by....

[jobycom]

7. I don't. Fill me in.

Not being sarcastic there, I really don't know. I just remember the commercials they ran last year countering the Republican attacks on Health Care. What did I miss? I thought they were on the good side over this.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. They could be the world's largest insurance agent...

and they sell Medigap and drug coverage in addition to auto and homeowners.

There have been many accusations of conflicts of interest over the years, but they haven't been brought down with anything specific yet.

[tbyg52]

13. They supported the Medicare big pharma giveaway

As far as where their support comes from, having Googled around perhaps they are not as evil as I thought (although far from pure - found a good article from Money Magazine that I am in the process of reading), although I am never going to forgive them the Medicare Part D push.

Money article:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1988/10/01/84702/index.htm

[SandWalker1984]

14. AARP - insurance sales and pro-Medicare Part D

AARP also backed the drug prescription bill, Medicare Part D even though it lacked cost controls or ability of our government to negotiate with the drug companies. You know, the largest corporate giveaway (to date) in our history.


In my opinion, AARP is nothing more these days than a shill company that's main goal is to sell gap insurance to it's members. That's why I dropped out of the group.

[Hoyt]

18. Ever met any seniors who could not afford their meds before Part D?

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage -- like the current HCR -- was not perfect. But there are a lot of elderly folks who are able to afford their meds now. 10 years ago, there were a lot forgoing meds. While we beach about it, try to repeal it and see what happens.

Further, go look for a Medicare GAP insurance plan that is good as the AARP plan. I bet you won't find one.

A single payer system could improve all those things, but such a sweeping change ain't in the cards right now. But, we can start moving toward it with passage of the HCR Bill.

[No Elephants]

23. Sure, but inability to afford scrips before Part D did not entail a giveaway of tax dollars to PHRMA

The practice of solving the problems of by bbing profitable corporations with many hard earned tax dollars--as Dummya did with Part D and proposed as to privatizing Social Security--should be left to the Republicon brand.

And we can be pretty sure that those tax dollars were hard earned because the rich are theoretically too valuable to society to pay their fair share of taxes.

Not to mention that things like Part D and Medicaid drive up drug prices unless government takes a stand. So, falling into the DOUGHnut hole become more painful than it might have been, if drug prices were reasonable.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DrDan]

9. exactly - their support of junior's drug-presciption plan left a sour taste in my mouth

just another RW org

[tbyg52]

15. Found a Public Citizen link, a bit more recent

http://georgemiller.house.gov/newweb/aarpfactsheet.pdf

It's *hard* to Google stuff on the AARP that isn't on the AARP's own website - they must have a heck of a search placement team. Makes you really wonder what's buried a few pages down, but I don't have time to find out on my dialup.

WSJ, Republicans Target AARP's Ties to Health-Insurance Industry:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125665203677510367.html

Yeah, I know the WSJ article is about *Repubs* yelling, but I too am suspicious of anyone who licenses their name to UnitedHealth....

[nyy1998]

8. This is huge

If AARP gets behind this, then it'll be tough for most Democrats to not support this bill.

[harvey007]

12. AARP support is very important

Repuglicans are still trying to scare senior citizens into opposing this, so it's really, really important to have AARP come out and support the health care reform bill.

Remember Michelle Bachmann's rants about "death panels?"

[Oregone]

11. Historic? LOL

[Trillo]

16. That should be a big red flag

Despite its self-proclaimed public service nature, the American Medical Association's political positions through its history have been highly controversial. In the 1930s, the AMA attempted to prohibit its members from working for the then-primitive health maintenance organizations that sprung up during the Great Depression, an action that was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. American Medical Ass'n. v. United States, 317 U.S. 519 (1943). The AMA's vehement campaign against Medicare in the 1950s and 1960s included the Operation Coffee Cup supported by Ronald Reagan. Since the enactment of Medicare the AMA reversed its position and now opposes any "cut to Medicare funding or shift increased costs to beneficiaries at the expense of the quality or accessibility of care" — and it also "strongly supports subsidization of prescription drugs for Medicare patients based on means testing". However, the AMA remains vehemently opposed to any single-payer health care plan that might enact a National Health Service in the United States, such as House Resolution 676. In the 1990s, it was part of the coalition that defeated the health care reform advanced by Hillary Rodham Clinton and her US President husband.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Medical_Association

[Doctor_J]

19. These are VERY bad omens

THese two groups are far right in their ideology

[many a good man]

20. Far right? C'mon.

AARP is so very centrist. Left and right don't like them. Their membership make up the middle of the middle and they don't want to piss them off. They are sworn to protect Medicare and Social Security and have always worked to expand it. They've worked hard over the past year to pass some sort of moderate health bill that helps people 50+ and they can point to some things in that area where this bill actually does that.

AMA mostly only cares about what affects doctors' pay. They don't like Medicare rates and absolutely hate Medicaid rates. They get better than that so its easy to support. And a side benefit is more people might actually get health care so they can feel good about themselves.

[sabrina 1]

21. Aarp supported Medicaid D also. Thanks to that, many

seniors have had to go without life saving medications because that too was a gift to Big Pharma. Not surprised to hear they would support this Windfall for Big Insurance.

[No Elephants]

22. Enthusiastic organizations gush, "It''s better than nothing."