Word: ama
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Ama R. Francis is the outgoing Covers Editor. She’ll cover...
Most docs tend to think they should be the ones to decide what services are necessary or not, since they are personally responsible for the results of the surgery. Yet when insurance companies refuse to pay for an assistant, they cite "American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines," which list procedures as "assistant required" or "not required" (often "not required"). Not surprisingly, 84% of practicing American doctors do not belong to the AMA, and many in my acquaintance have quite a negative view of this organization...
...reform with a pair of sharply critical reports, it was only natural that Democrats would start worrying that other key industry players might drop their (already cautious) support of the ambitious overhaul. It was also no surprise that Senate majority leader Harry Reid would invite the American Medical Association (AMA) and 10 other doctors' groups in for a meeting. But what came out of that session, critics say, is too high a price for maintaining physicians' backing: a stand-alone, unfunded bill on the Senate floor this week that would hand doctors $247 billion more than they would otherwise...
...what seemed like an easy solution last week in the health-care negotiations is now facing uphill battles in both chambers, which is why Democrats are relying on physicians' groups to throw the power of their lobby behind the bill. The AMA has run $200,000 worth of ads in a dozen states in the past week and has pledged to spend upwards of $1.8 million on more. Likewise the seniors' lobbying organization AARP, which strongly supports the legislation, has run about $2 million in ads in the past two weeks, mostly on this issue...
...Still, there's no guarantee the AMA or other physicians' groups will ultimately support health-care reform. "We haven't seen the Senate bill," AMA president Dr. J. James Rohack said at a press conference Tuesday urging passage of the 10-year freeze. "So once we get that out there then I'll be able to answer that question." Courting health-care interest groups one giant giveaway bill at a time is a risky tactic by Democrats, who also are hearing from hospitals demanding fixes for their payments and insurers asking that cuts to Medicare Advantage be reinstated. And, clearly...