The American Medical Association has endorsed a House healthcare reform (H.R. 3962), but has also called on Congress to pass a separate bill (H.R. 3961) that eliminates the sustainable growth rate formula in Medicare that will mandate a 21% cut in reimbursements this January.
"These two bills were introduced together, and they need to be passed together. Both are essential to achieving meaningful health system reform this year," AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, told reporters during a midday media teleconference.
H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act, is the sweeping healthcare reform bill that emerged from three separate House committees. The bill would expand healthcare insurance to more than 96% of the population, and key features include a public health insurance option made available through a health insurance exchange.
"H.R. 3962 is not the perfect bill, and we will continue to advocate for changes, but it goes a long way toward expanding access to high-quality affordable health coverage for all Americans, and it would make the system better for patients and physicians," Rohack said today. "This is not the last step but the next step toward health system reform."
Rohack says H.R. 3962 is consistent with AMA "principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physician practice, and universal access."
Rohack also called on Congress to pass H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009, to permanently repeal the SGR.
"In less than 60 days, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 21%, with more cuts in years to come," Rohack said. "Annual patches have temporarily averted widespread access problems, but they have also grown the size of the problem and the cost of reform.
A similar bill was defeated in the Senate last month, but Rohack said that will not deter the AMA's efforts on the House bill.
"The House action is going to reestablish momentum on repeal of the payment formula," he said. "When the Senate took this up some people did not want to vote because of the deficit. But in reality they could have fixed this problem three years ago for less than $50 billion. Now it's over $250 billion and will only grow continued temporary patches are used. We believe this is fulfilling an existing obligation, and that is the reason why we strong believe the House recognizes this and will pass this bill."