Tens of thousands of physicians in America, who are deeply concerned
over the direction of health reform legislation, have joined forces to
deliver a strong message to Congress: it’s not too late to get it right;
slow down and change course. These 17 state and national medical
societies, including the American
Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress
of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), represent more than 92,000
physicians from coast to coast, and are unified in their opposition of
the “Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act” (H.R. 3590) as introduced by Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid. The groups, along with three past
presidents of the American Medical Association, this week sent an
urgent letter
to the U.S. Senate specifying their numerous concerns with Senator
Reid’s bill, which is now being debated. Altogether, more than 40
state, county and national medical societies – representing nearly a
half-million physicians – now publicly oppose the Senate health reform
bill.
“We hope that by speaking with this unified voice, which represents
thousands of the nation’s doctors, that our chorus of opposition will
finally be heard on the floor of the Senate loud and clear,” states Troy
M. Tippett, MD, President of the AANS. “We are urging the Senate to
draft a more targeted bill that will reform the country's flawed system
for financing healthcare, while preserving the best healthcare in the
world. We absolutely support reform, but not this reform; the direction
we’re now heading in is terrifying and heartbreaking for this and future
generations of Americans. Right now, Congress is trying to fix a broken
system with a broken remedy.”