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AMA chief: Reform liability, hike Medicare pay
June 13, 2009 4:59 PM | 4 Comments
The president of the American Medical Association today urged President Barack Obama to include medical liability reform and improve payments to doctors from Medicare in any health care reform plan to cover the more than 46 million uninsured Americans.
Among the key issues the AMA wants addressed, AMA president Dr. Nancy Nielsen told the group's 543-member policy-making House of Delegates today, is a fix to a Medicare payment system that has cut doctor fees. In addition, Nielsen said medical liability reform should include caps on non-economic damages and should allow doctors to abide by the emerging trend of quality measures that pay physicians based on performance.
Obama will address the AMA delegates Monday amid the group's annual meeting that is designed to set policy for the Chicago-based national doctors group as it works with the White House and Congress on health care reform.
"Let's fight this battle to completion," Nielsen said at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. "No more short term fixes. No more waiting. No more promises."
The AMA has been unsuccessful in the past at convincing Congress for the need to restore cuts in payments from the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly doctors say does not cover the rising costs of operating their practices.
Nielsen said that doctors, too, need to be flexible and be prepared to take risks in the coming health care reform debate.
"Change is always difficult and carries risks," Nielsen said. "Not changing also carries risks."
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