AMCNO Offers Comments on the Health Care Reform Debate
When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in March, 2010, the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio (AMCNO) studied the issues and proposals carefully. The spirit of the law, as well as many of the final provisions, are applauded by physicians who recognize the need for access to healthcare for many Americans who were previously excluded: adult children who are unemployed, those with pre-existing medical conditions, employees without medical coverage through their employers and elderly who cannot afford their medications. In addition, the overwhelming stress that the sky-rocketing cost of health care places on the total economy of the United States cannot be ignored or passed onto the next generations. However, because certain other vital issues such as tort reform and correction of the linkage of Medicare reimbursement to the Sustainable Growth Rate were not addressed, many physicians could not give unqualified or unanimous endorsement to this health care reform package. The AMCNO has outlined our concerns in the statement below and we will continue to urge the Congress to consider each of these points carefully. Revisions and amendments to the current law which properly address the excluded issues of tort reform and SGR corrections, while extending insurance controls, improving access, controlling costs, insuring quality, and offering new programs and research in preventative medicine would both improve the law and move our citizens to better health.

The AMCNO believes that the current health care system is fragmented and unsustainable and does not meet the needs of our members and their patients. Our organization and the physicians we serve recognize the need for health care reform and have long advocated for change in the health care delivery system. The AMCNO has voiced its support regarding many of the aspects included in the legislation such as the funding of patient centered medical homes, enhanced access to care for all Americans, changes in health insurance company behavior, support for prevention and wellness programs, and support for changes in geographic variations to address both costs and care provided.

Specifically the AMCNO has advocated for Congress to pass legislation that would:

  • Allow access to affordable health care for all Americans;
  • Implement reform of Medicare physician payment methodologies;
  • Not overburden or add costs to the Medicaid program;
  • Enact meaningful medical liability reforms inclusive of alternative dispute resolution concepts and health courts;
  • Provide for insurance market reforms that address the issue of physician profiling by health insurers, that enhance choice of affordable coverage and eliminate denials of care for certain conditions;
  • Implement changes in geographic variations that affect costs and care provided;
  • Require health care decision making by physicians and their patients, instead of by insurers or government entities;
  • Provide for quality improvement as well as reductions in cost and waste;
  • Provide for investments and incentives for public health and prevention and wellness initiatives;
  • Standardize insurance claims processing requirements to eliminate unnecessary costs and administrative burdens;
  • Provide for the implementation of health insurance exchange models versus a government-run public option;
  • Remove restrictions on physician ownership of facilities;
  • Provide appropriate avenues and funding for the growth of the physician workforce to meet demand.

The AMCNO will continue to monitor the health care reform debate and provide information to our members.