AMA, AARP announce support for health care legislation

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog reports: "In a major end-game endorsement for Democrats, the American Medical Association, which represents the nation's doctors, reiterated its support for the health care legislation on Friday. The announcement was immediately hailed by the White House. ... While some groups like the United States Chamber of Commerce are openly fighting the legislation, it is helpful to the White House and Democratic leaders that the doctors are not throwing their weight behind the opposition" (Herszenhorn, 3/19).

The Associated Press/The Los Angeles Times reports: "The nation's largest association of doctors and the AARP senior citizens' lobby are endorsing President Barack Obama's revised health overhaul legislation. ... In a statement Friday, AARP said the legislation 'will improve health care for older Americans and their families'" (Johnson, 3/19).

ABC News Blog reports: An "executive from Caterpillar, Inc., notified the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House that the company is asking legislators to vote against the health care reform bill because it will drive up the company's health care costs 'by more than 20 percent (over $100 million) in the first year alone and put at risk the coverage our current employees and retirees receive.' ... Gregory Folley, vice president and chief human resources officer of Caterpillar, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, yesterday that requirements that the company provide health insurance and other parts of the bill would put the company 'at a disadvantage versus global competitors that are not similarly burdened'" (3/19).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.