OPINIONWhere does your candidate stand on medicine's issues?AMA Leader Commentary. By Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, Oct. 20, 2008. A message to all physicians from AMA President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD On Nov. 4, America's physicians and patients will enter the voting booth and help decide the course of our nation. The cynics undoubtedly will say that elections don't matter and that politicians -- and policies -- are all the same. They are wrong. Every physician should remember that our elected officials craft the policies we must abide by (and sometimes suffer through). It was our elected representatives who created Medicare and Medicaid, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the rules by which new pharmaceuticals are introduced into the marketplace -- and our offices.
In some states, our elected officials have been instrumental in enacting reasonable medical liability reforms. They have been champions supporting prompt-pay laws for managed care. And they have worked with organized medicine to help ensure patient safety by appropriately limiting nonphysician scope of practice. At the federal level, the AMA is in close contact with Congress and the federal agencies. We're also in close contact with our grassroots network of physician and medical student leaders across the country. These close relationships enable us to work together -- to speak with one highly persuasive voice. Quite frankly, it was the deciding factor to help avert a Medicare meltdown earlier this year. And these relationships -- in Washington, D.C., and across the nation -- are what enable us to keep working toward a long-term Medicare solution. We need our champions, but make no mistake, the issues facing medicine will still be present when the new president and Congress take office Jan. 20, 2009. Whichever candidate is elected, whichever party is in control of Congress, there are significant issues that must be faced. Consider:
So when you go into the voting booth, I want you to consider how your candidates -- at the state and federal levels -- propose to address these issues.
This election, you can make a difference by making sure you know the answers to these questions. While there is a tendency in politics to play "gotcha" and duel over the trivial, America's physicians and patients are looking for answers. We understand that the issues facing medicine are complex. We understand they will not be solved overnight. But this election, we must look closely at who we empower to work on our issues in the future. We must demand action, progress and leadership. We must keep the focus on important health system reform issues. And remember, physicians and their families also need to exercise their civic duties by voting for candidates who are committed to improving the health of all Americans. The bottom line: Ask, "What are you going to do to help me help my patients?" That is what I will be thinking when I step into my voting booth. Dr. Nielsen, an internist from Buffalo, N.Y., was AMA president during 2008-09. Copyright 2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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