At the risk of alienating those of you who are members of the AMA, I have to comment on AMA's knee-jerk resistance to change in healthcare whenever it comes up. The AMA played a central role in killing any Clinton initiatives back in 1993. Since then, physician income has plummeted in most specialties. So much for AMA watching out for its members!
AMA continues to be one of the strongest advocates for the existing insurance structure. This is baffling when physician offices are filled with clerks pleading with insurance companies for payments which get ever smaller. Healthcare reform is complex and no "solution" is likely to be ideal. Unintended consequences are inevitable. AMA may even be correct in some of the issues that it flags.
But AMA should be out in front of this issue, advocating for change that is credible and helps people beyond its own membership. All the evidence points to inevitable failure of the healthcare system. At this rate, we'll see the AMA digging in its heels long after its members can no longer keep the doors of their practices open.
