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After all these many years of runaway costs, excessive malpractice, corporate indifference, consumer apathy and government impotence and complicity, the health care issue has been noticed by the AMA. After the failure in the 1990’s of the Clinton Administration’s flagship initiative on health care aggravated by the reluctance of Congress to offend lobbyists, the only health care reforms from Washington came in the form of more wasteful spending. Two of the most ridiculous examples would be adding Medicare coverage for nearly anyone to get a motorized chair and drugs for erectile dysfunction. With reports indicating most Americans are morbidly obese, defining it as a covered disease and authorizing millions of lypo-suctions and stomach staplings was the obvious next step. Now that everyone has lost their mind, the AMA is nervous about all this talk of universal heath care.

Have you even noticed that the major issues of the day are all centered around products or services that are not exactly discretionary. Three of those issues are health care, energy and education. And all three are subject to price increases that have found no real limit. Beyond having some self-discipline, so-called experts suggest on the one hand that we take a proactive, preventive stance on health care which requires regular, periodic use of services. Yet with energy we are encouraged to reduce our consumption and exercise all manner of conservation to save the environment and limit demand. And everyone knows the measurable elements of education continue to decline or at best remain flat while the same cannot be said of what it costs to provide that education.

So what better places are there for making a profit as a provider? Three examples were just mentioned where the market demand is nearly unlimited so the price increases are essentially automatic. This is one area in the ‘free market’ system where competition is meaningless as it has no effect on price nor quality. And the consumer does little to provide a positive influence on the situation. Bigger houses, bigger cars, undisciplined lifestyles and an apathy towards participation in the process only make matters worse.

But take heart folks because the AMA has got your back. Or at least that part of your back that houses your wallet. After all this time what possible reason could the AMA have for getting involved publicly on the issue of health care. Especially during a Presidential campaign, their surprising concern may lead to the conclusion that they are finally concerned that the medical kingdom may soon be under attack. Over the last few months every candidate for President has offered some form of health care plan. And the terms universal and health care have been spoken about too often for the AMA to remain comfortably silent. They are just protecting their own interests. They are quite confident you will not protect yours. And they are equally convinced all this talk about health care may finally cause them a problem. That is the only reason they would be willing to spend this much money for a campaign.

There is Doctors Without Borders and then there is Doctors WIthout A Conscience.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

AMA Launches Multi-Million Dollar Campaign to Cover the Uninsured
First Phase of Three-Year Campaign to Focus on DC and Early Primary States

AMA Launches Multi-Million Dollar Campaign to Cover the Uninsured

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, the American Medical Association (AMA) launches a three-year, multi-million dollar campaign called “Voice For The Uninsured” to spur action to cover the uninsured. The national launch begins today with a Washington, D.C. press conference at the National Press Club and full-page ads in the New York Times and USAToday.

This year, the AMA is reaching out to voters and candidates to talk about the problem of the uninsured and the AMA’s solution. The second year of the campaign will focus on influencing Americans to vote for president with the issue of the uninsured in mind. The third year, post-election, the AMA will urge members of Congress to pass legislation to cover all Americans.

“The AMA campaign is grounded in the sad fact that one in seven Americans is uninsured,” said AMA President-elect Nancy Nielsen, M.D. “That’s not just a statistic, it’s a tragedy. The campaign gives a voice to these 45 million uninsured patients who desperately need one.”

“The beginning of the AMA’s campaign will coincide with the 2008 election cycle,” said Dr. Nielsen. “As the 2008 presidential hopefuls develop their platforms for health care reform, the AMA is encouraging them to incorporate the AMA proposal into their plans to cover the uninsured.”

“Under the AMA plan, the vast majority of Americans would have the means to purchase health care coverage,” said Dr. Nielsen. “It would give individuals choices, so they can select the appropriate coverage for them and their families, and would promote market reforms in the insurance industry.”

This year the AMA launches a new website, http://www.voicefortheuninsured.org/, to allow patients to learn more about the AMA’s proposal to cover the uninsured, sign a petition, and share a personal story. From Labor Day through the end of this year, AMA ads will appear in various television, print, radio and online outlets in Washington, D.C. and the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Additional outreach in these markets includes ads on pharmacy bags, billboards and in transit stations. During September and December, the Metro Center station in Washington, D.C. will be blanketed with 100 ads.

“The Voice For The Uninsured campaign will rally physicians, mobilize patients, and amplify voters’ voices on the issue of the uninsured,” said Dr. Nielsen. “We’re personally reaching out to voters and candidates at events in early primary states.”

The AMA sponsored a day at the Iowa State Fair (8/16) and had a presence at the Iowa Straw Poll (8/11). Upcoming events include the New Hampshire Hopkinton State Fair (8/30) and Rochester Fair (9/14). The AMA Voice For The Uninsured campaign will also be at home football games at the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the University of Iowa, and Iowa State University. AMA leaders will continue to share the AMA proposal through speaking engagements with various community, civic, and patient groups.

“The AMA is enlisting doctors and medical students in our campaign, and asking them to become advocates on this important issue,” said Dr. Nielsen. “When patients visit their doctor’s office they will be able to pick up materials on the AMA’s uninsured campaign.”

The AMA continues to advocate for the renewal of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Earlier this year, the AMA joined forces with a group of 16 national health care stakeholders to reach consensus on recommendations to cover the uninsured using some of the core principles of the AMA proposal.

“Covering the uninsured is a top priority for the AMA, and today we’re taking a big step forward in our commitment to cover all Americans,” said Dr. Nielsen.

For more information on the ads and the AMA plan to cover the uninsured visit: http://www.voicefortheuninsured.org/.
Website: http://www.voicefortheuninsured.org/
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/17712.html

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“How you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives – how does that stimulate the economy?” (Michelle Malkin) 

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 11:24 am and is filed under Public Affairs, Money Matters, Health, wordpress, Politics, campaign, conspiracy, lobbyist, disclosure, ethics, United States, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.