State association's view on health reform

I received the following news release from late Friday and though I’d share it on my blog. The Texas Medical Association is a very powerful lobby in the state and a big influence on the American Medical Association.

Statement from Texas Medical Association President William H. Fleming III, MD, regarding H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009,” Congressional legislation to reform America’s health care system.

“The physicians of the Texas Medical Association believe our health care
system is broken and needs reform. However, we cannot support the current House
proposal, H.R. 3200, ‘America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009,’ at
this time. While it addresses some of health care’s ailments, it leaves gaping
wounds and does not serve Texas patients well.

“As physicians, our primary goal is to improve the health of our patients.
We believe that patients and their physicians must be free to make choices that
best fit their individual health care needs. This legislation severely limits
those choices.

“Therefore, TMA cannot support a proposal to create another
government-payer health plan while existing government-payer plans, such
Medicare, Medicaid, and the military health care program, TRICARE, are failing
patients. We are deeply troubled there is no fix to the flawed Medicare funding
formula, which limits seniors’ ability to see a doctor when they need to; and
the absence of medical liability reforms, which provide greater access to care
to Texas patients. We remain extremely concerned that the ‘public option’ will
soon become the controlling payer in all health care, resulting in an unworkable
government price-setting scheme like we now see in Medicare. TMA physicians also
are concerned that this plan limits at which hospitals patients can receive
care.

“TMA physicians will continue to review and analyze H.R. 3200, and pledge
to work with Congressional leaders and the Obama administration in crafting
legislation that truly would improve health care ― the patient-physician
relationship ― in the United States and Texas. As physicians, it is our ethical
duty to provide leadership on these public policy decisions.”

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 44,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.