AMA takes health reform message on the road

White House officials and lawmakers were not the only ones who took the health system reform debate out of Washington, D.C., during the August congressional recess, spotlighting communities reeling from the recession and making the case that reform is the key to helping them.

The American Medical Association drew attention to the plight of physicians and patients in Michigan during a recent visit as part of its "House Call" program. Immediate Past President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, traveled to Detroit, Grand Rapids, and the Lansing area during the week of Aug. 24 to make the case that health system reform is a necessary part of the response to the nation's economic downturn.

"The people of Michigan know only too well that losing a job can also mean losing health insurance," Dr. Nielsen said. "The AMA is working for all Americans to have affordable, portable health care coverage that can't be taken away if you get sick or lose your job."

The city of Flint provides a case study for the connection between the economy and the health care system. Nearly one in three residents is unemployed. The Genesee County Medical Society estimates that some of its primary care physicians have seen a 40% drop in patient volume since the beginning of the year, soon after General Motors indicated that it was in financial crisis.

The statistics represent the harsh new reality for Flint, which used to have some of the highest incomes of any urban U.S. area. It's becoming more difficult to attract and retain physicians to the town as the insured population -- and thus the ability to make a living -- goes down, said John Waters, MD, an ophthalmologist and the county society's president.

"I know many physicians feel things need to change, and they've got to change quickly," he said. "A lot of us are feeling like things will move on without us while Flint burns."

Speaking to a standing-room-only audience at the headquarters of the Michigan State Medical Society in East Lansing on Aug. 25, Dr. Nielsen discussed the need to expand coverage, eliminate insurance denials based on preexisting conditions and implement medical liability reform. The visit also served as an attempt to debunk myths that have emerged during the latest health reform debate.

"She was able to put a face on the discussion of health reform and also clear up some misinformation about the general discussion of reform," said Richard E. Smith, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit and the MSMS president.

A recent increase in rumors about system reform was a major driver behind Dr. Nielsen hitting the road and making the house call to Michigan.

"It's unfortunate that there has been so much misinformation on health reform," she said. "We're working to set the record straight and get to common ground so we can achieve reform this year."

White House recruiting physicians

Obama administration officials are hoping the medical community can be a big help in spreading the health system reform message outside the beltway. White House officials in recent weeks have been making attempts to enlist physician organizations and individual doctors to promote the congressional reform plan.

The White House held an Aug. 25 conference call with roughly 3,000 physicians and their representatives, in part to discuss ways they can assist the administration in its efforts, according to call participants. Obama health adviser Kavita Patel, MD, an internist, helped moderate.

In advance of the call, the White House circulated a brochure it calls a health insurance reform action guide, which emphasizes the need to overhaul the insurance system and advises physician organizations on how they can help relay the message to colleagues and patients.

The guide cites the White House's recently launched "reality check" Web site designed to "knock down health insurance reform rumors and lies floating around the Internet." The document also asks organizations to continue using social networking tools to spread the reform word.

AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, recently unveiled a blog in which he chronicles his frequent travels across the country as he discusses reform with fellow physicians.

The Association on Aug. 31 also released the third installment of its virtual town hall series, in which patients ask questions about reform and receive answers from member physicians. Those resources and more can be found on the AMA's system reform Web site (link).