The AMA’s Endorsement of a Government Takeover of Health Care: What Doctors Should Know

John O'Shea / July 17, 2009

The recent letter to Congressman Rangel from the AMA in appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009” is disconcerting and fails to accurately represent the concerns of many of America’s physicians, myself included. The AMA has failed to clearly discuss the significant trade-offs that private practice physicians and their patients will face if this legislation is rushed through congress.

First of all, if the legislation is passed along with the option of a public plan that competes with private plans, physicians will bear a significant financial burden. According to testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee by The Lewin Group, a health care and human services policy research organization, if the public plan is open to individuals and all employers using Medicare payment levels plus 5 percent, as planned, physician net income would fall by 5.4 percent. The loss of net-income would average about $16,207 per physician. (more…)