AMA fails on health reform

Excerpt from "New Doctors' Survey Says AMA Fails on Health Reform, New Voice Needed," Jackson Healthcare. September 6, 2011--Almost 18 months after President Obama signed healthcare reform into law, America's physicians have not forgiven the American Medical Association for supporting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a new survey released today by Jackson & Coker, a division of Jackson Healthcare.

According to the nationwide survey conducted Aug. 1-29, only 13 percent of physicians agree with the AMA's stance on health reform. It supported the bill and now supports the new law. It has not called for any legal challenges or repeal measures, despite $500 billion in planned cuts to Medicare and no measures to protect physicians from frivolous lawsuits. Meanwhile, of the 1,611 physicians who responded to the survey, 70 percent disagreed with the AMA's position on health reform. The survey, distributed to more than 111,000 physicians, had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.59 percent.
As a result, 77 percent of doctors now say the AMA no longer represents their views and another voice is needed. Only 15 percent of those surveyed said the AMA was a strong advocate for physicians' issues. Forty-seven percent of those who dropped their AMA membership said it was specifically due to AMA's support of the PPACA. "The physicians we polled say the AMA is no longer the voice of their profession," said Sandy Garrett, president of Jackson & Coker, a physician recruitment firm.

"The numbers speak for themselves," Garrett said. "Physicians in America feel abandoned and need an advocate especially during this time of tremendous change in healthcare."

CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics): "How the mighty have fallen! In the early 60s, more than 70 percent of physicians were AMA members. Today, the AMA represents only 17 percent of physicians and physicians to be. About one third of those are students or residents. Last year the AMA lost 5 percent of its members.¹ The only way the AMA remains viable is the huge amount of money they generate from their monopoly on medical coding. In 2009, they had a gross income of $268.6 million, a 4.8 percent growth over the year before with a net income of $53.1 million.²

"Three out of four physicians say that 'the AMA no longer represents physicians; physicians need a more representative voice.' By contrast, fewer than one in ten CMDA members surveyed disagreed with CMDA's position on the highly controversial issue of healthcare reform, and CMDA members' disagreement on all other issues never exceeded five percent. Why not choose an organization that shares your values and represents your views? Jackson & Coker asked physicians in their survey what were viable alternatives to the AMA. They specifically mentioned CMDA in their report (p.14).

"I believe this survey provides a unique opportunity for you to invite your Christian colleagues to be part of an organization that not only represents their views on public policy but more importantly is transforming doctors to transform the world. We are ready to give you membership information to help you do that. I learned a long time ago that the most likely way a doctor will join CMDA is for one of their friends to tell them why they belong to CMDA.
"In these difficult days in medicine and in our country, it is crucial that we band together as Christian brothers and sisters to stand for righteousness and to change hearts in medicine. Won’t you help me do that?"

Hoover's company profile for the AMA

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2009:
Sales: $268.6M
One year growth: (4.8%)
Net income: $53.1M
To Read more on the AMA company profile click here.
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1 Doctors, Medical Students Abandon AMA in Search of Alternatives
2 Hoover's Company Profile: AMA

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