Statement attributed to:
David O. Barbe, M.D.
President, American Medical Association
“The health reform debate is by no means over. Congress must begin a collaborative process that produces a bipartisan approach to improve health care in our country.
“The status quo is unacceptable. Near-term action is needed to stabilize the individual/nongroup health insurance marketplace. In the long term, stakeholders and policymakers need to address the unsustainable trends in health care costs while achieving meaningful, affordable coverage for all Americans. The American Medical Association is ready to work on short- and long-term solutions.
“The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and the 21st Century Cures Act are recent examples of what can be accomplished to improve the health of the nation when Congress works on a bipartisan basis with key stakeholder groups. Success is achieved when patients, physicians and policymakers work together to improve the health of individuals, families and communities.
“I want to thank the hundreds of thousands of patients, physicians and other providers for their pivotal participation in the debate on health reform. The grassroots response and their continued involvement moving forward demonstrate the vitality of our democracy.”
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
