Specialty doctors displeased with American Medical Association Representation

The American Society of Medical Doctors (ASMD) today released additional results from a nationwide, nonpartisan poll of physicians showing that 86 percent of specialty doctors feel that the American Medical Association has become too political and has lost touch with the doctors it is supposed to represent.

Chairman of the ASMD, Alfred O. Bonati, M.D., said that, "Quality representation of doctors in Washington, DC has never been more important than it is today. Sadly, an overwhelming majority of specialty physicians believe that this group has lost touch."

Dr. Bonati cited a disconnect between doctors' professional priorities and the representation offered by the AMA: "The AMA is putting the future of our profession at risk by supporting health-care reform proposals that would slowly-but-surely erode the ability of doctors to honor our pledge - the Hippocratic oath - by creating a new government-run insurance plan."

"Ask any doctor who has been denied or given minimal reimbursement by Medicare or Medicaid for a course of treatment that best fits the needs of a patient and that patient's family whether the government understands our oath," Bonati said. "We know that they do not."

The poll also revealed that a full 99 percent of specialty physicians believe that trial lawyers have a negative impact on medicine in the United States.

"The fact that medical liability reform is not part of the current health-care reform proposals in Congress is stunning to me and to most doctors," Bonati said. "This gaping hole in so-called reform efforts must be addressed."

Initial results of the poll, released last week, revealed that:

• 70 percent of specialty doctors oppose current Congressional and White House proposals for health-care reform;
• 66 percent believe that a government-run health insurance plan would restrict doctors' ability to give the best advice and offer the best care possible to their patients; and
• More than 60 percent would not accept new patients with government insurance (including 27% who would not accept any patients on the new government plan).