Mitch McConnell along with Senate Republicans have rolled out their final scroll of the new proposed Health Care bill Monday, and the AMA (American Medical Association) is not having it.  The AMA uses the criteria of “number of Americans covered by insurance” as a benchmark for a successful health care system, and the new bill does not seem to fall into the category of success according to the AMA.

As one of the largest supporters of the ACA or Obamacare the AMA, one of the biggest lobby groups in the country, said in its announcement concerning to the new proposed bill, saying the (BCRA) Better Care Reconciliation Act as it is now called violates the pledge to “do no harm”.

David O. Barbe president of the AMA says when more Americans have health insurance; more Americans have health care access.  Some say this is not the case, saying it’s the furthest thing from the truth.  However, Obamacare supporters still use the talking point of having more people enrolled in insurance plans under the law which went into effect March 23, 2010.

Barbe is skeptical at best about the scoring of the bill by the CBO (Congressionall Budget Office).  He says there have been several different numbers tossed about since the unveiling of the first draft of the bill.  According to these figures, Barbe feels the way the country’s health care system is financed will be extremely reconstructed.  The CBO first estimated that 23 million people will be left uninsured by 2026 if the ACA were enacted, in relation to the current law.  Just yesterday they recalculated that figure to add an extra 22 million uninsured by 2026 if the current BCRA plan comes into law.  Barbe states that is just too high a figure for American physicians and their patients to accept.

 

On Monday, McConnell and Chuck Schumer Senate Minority Leader received the AMA’s letter of opposition to the BCRA.  The letter stated: Medicine has long operated under the precept of Primum non nocere, or “first, do no harm.” They claim the draft legislation violates that standard on many levels.  [The AMA] have consistently urged that the Senate, in developing proposals to replace portions of the current law, pay special attention to ensure that individuals currently covered do not lose access to affordable, quality health insurance coverage.

The letter also states its opposition to Planned Parenthood (America’s largest abortion provider).

The AMA maintains, we also continue to oppose Congressionally-mandated restrictions on where lower income women (and men) may receive otherwise covered health care services – in this case, the prohibition on individuals using their Medicaid coverage at clinics operated by Planned Parenthood.  These provisions violate long-standing AMA policy on patients’ freedom to choose their providers and physicians’ freedom to practice in the setting of their choice.

Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), Dr. Jane Orient says wrote: Millions more have “coverage.” Similarly, the predicted disasters from repeal have to do with loss of coverage. Tens of thousands of deaths will allegedly follow. Activists urge shipping repeal victims’ ashes to Congress, possibly illegal and certainly disrespectful of the loved one’s remains, which will end up in a trash dump.

The AAPS is a group of independent, patient-centered physicians. Orient also stated Obamacare’s reported success by its supporters is widely based on enrollment numbers.

Orient mentions Democrats’ and liberal Republicans’ projections of medical bankruptcies for those with serious conditions, and she alerts to the often misattributed cause of such horrific circumstances:  She says this happens when the patients receive their bill with outrageous charges from the hospital as well as hospitals being as hard-nosed as the IRS in collection efforts.  She goes on to state that this is a very serious issue, but it is not caused by lack of universal coverage.  She reminds the bankruptcy is a way out of debt and creditors take a loss as medical debts can be discharged.  She also points out that Medicaid expansion alleviates some fears of medical bankruptcy, but we don’t know if more patients received treatment or not.  She also remarks that in Canada’s single-payer system there isn’t any fear about a medical bill, however, sometimes there isn’t any treatment either.

The AAPS tweeted "Despite What You've Heard, The Senate Bill Doesn't Slash, Gut, Or Even Cut Medicaid" 

“To win my vote, the bill must create space for states and individuals to sidestep DC’s incompetence,” tweeted Mike Lee a junior Republican Senator from Utah.  Lee made these statements on his website.

“No, the Senate healthcare bill released yesterday does not repeal Obamacare. It doesn’t even significantly reform American healthcare.”

“It cuts taxes. It bails out insurance companies. It props up Obamacare through the next election. It lays out plans to slow Medicaid spending beginning in 2025, but that probably won’t happen. And it leaves in place the ham-fisted federal regulations that have driven up family health insurance premiums by 140 percent since Obamacare was implemented.”

Orient also had this to say, resources are limited for universal health insurance while costs need to be kept low.  She said Supporters understand this and “They also understand that the burgeoning bureaucracy and its minions and retainers must be well paid, so the answer is to cut services.”  She also explained that when the money has dried up, treatments are canceled.  Stating “There will be fewer beds, fewer CT scanners, fewer drugs, and fewer doctors. But all will be fair. No rationing by price, just by waiting lines, political pull and death. There will be no medical bills to pay after a service, if you get any service. Only taxes in advance, service or no service.”

Photo by: Amaclinic via Wikimedia Commons