THE AMA DOESN'T REPRESENT DOCTORS!!!!!!!!

[Joanne98]

Here’s a statement from doctors on the public health insurance option put out today :

As doctors, we see patients every day who are more afraid of their medical bills than their illnesses. It frustrates and saddens us to care for patients with what began as a simple and inexpensive medical problem, but has developed into a life-threatening condition. It makes us angry to see children suffering from treatable illnesses, like asthma, in the Emergency Room because they literally have nowhere else to go.

All doctors need to work together to solve our health care crisis. Part of this solution should be the inclusion of a high-quality public health insurance option that competes fairly with private plans. Having the choice of a public health insurance plan will help make health care more affordable for patients, foster greater competition in the insurance market, and guarantee that quality, affordable coverage will be there for our patients no matter what happens.

Who’s that statement signed by?

The American Academy of Family Physicians
The American Medical Student Association
The Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare
Doctors Council/SEIU Healthcare
Doctors for America
The National Doctors Alliance/SEIU Healthcare
The National Physicians Alliance
The Student National Medical Association

A nice, comprehensive list, no?

This just further goes to show how far out of the mainstream the AMA is, not only in their opposition to President Obama’s health care plan, but in their membership in general. Wikipedia lays out the facts (h/t DemFromCT, who’s got a great piece about doctors and the AMA over at Daily Kos):

Physician membership in the group has decreased to lower than 19% of practicing physicians. In 2004, AMA reported membership totals of 244,569, which included retired and practicing physicians along with medical students, residents, and fellows. The medical school section (MSS) reported totals of 48,868 members, while the resident and fellow section (RFS) reported 24,069 members. Combined they account for almost 30% of AMA members. <3> If every other member of the AMA was a fully qualified practicing physician then the AMA would represent 19% of America’s practicing physicians (There are currently approximately 900,000 practicing physicians in America). However, MedPage Today estimates that the AMA only represents 135,300 “real, practicing physicians” as of 2005 (15.0% of the United States practicing physicians). <4> When asked about this, Jeremy Lazarus, MD, a speaker in the AMA House of Delegates, stated that membership was stable, avoiding commenting on the low overall numbers (2005 AMSA annual meeting, AMA vs. PNHP healthcare debate, Arlington, Virginia).

It is not true that doctors are against health care reform and the public health insurance option. And it is not true that the AMA represents doctors. If I and the AMA were being truthful, we could say that the AMA, which represents a small minority of doctors, mostly specialists or retired, is against President Obama’s health care plan.

(also posted at the NOW! blog)
http://www.theseminal.com/2009/06/15/the-ama-doesnt-represent-doctors/

[nichomachus]

1. The AMA is a corporatist lobbying group

that artificially constrains the number of doctors in the US.

[nykym]

2. AMA

Against Medical Advice!

[DCKit]

3. Similar to the way the Chamber of Commerce used to represent small business owners.

Since Wal Mart massacred so many of the small businesses, they had to look elsewhere for their dues. Now the CoC is just prostituting their good name for corporate Amurika.

[Joanne98]

4. I know. The Chamber works against small business.

[Wednesdays]

5. K&R

:kick:

[knitter4democracy]

6. The med student and resident numbers are high because it's free.

All they have to do is sign a card at some conference, and they get a free membership. I doubt they're serious members at all.