Liberal docs counter the A.M.A. and their efforts to squash healthcare reform.

[jefferson_dem]

Liberal docs counter the A.M.A.
Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009 5:27 PM by Domenico Montanaro

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Per the New York Times, the American Medical Association threw down the gauntlet this week with a statement opposing a public-government insurance option. The statement, in the form of comments submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, says such an option “threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers.”

But the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, wants you to know that the AMA doesn’t speak for all physicians. Doctors for America, a left-leaning organization of approximately 12,000 doctors, joined CAP today in telling reporters it fully supports a public/government option.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, president of Doctors for America, said physicians “see every day examples of how the private-insurance industry is failing our patients.”

Murthy did acknowledge the enormous influence of the 250,000-member AMA, but urged Americans to look deeper than the opinions of industry leaders.

“We are a grassroots organization,” Murthy said. “It’s important to see what the physicians on the ground are saying.”

Despite his fierce advocacy for a public/government option, Murthy did leave open the possibility of a compromise. When asked about his thoughts on the co-op plan proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad, Murthy said he cared less about what the plan was called and more about how it helped patients.

“If there are options on the table that Congress would like to consider, and they want the input of physicians,” he said, “we would be willing to provide that input.”

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http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/11/1962409.aspx