AMA announces opposition to Senate health system reform

The American Medical Association (AMA) today, in a letter to Senate leaders, outlined its opposition to the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Throughout the health system reform debate, the AMA has urged that reforms not result in individuals with health insurance losing access to affordable, quality coverage; that Medicaid, CHIP and other safety net programs be adequately funded; and that key market reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, be maintained. The Senate draft, however, violates many of those principles.

“On behalf of the physician and medical student members of the American Medical Association (AMA), I am writing to express our opposition to the discussion draft of the ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act’ released on June 22, 2017,” the letter begins. “Medicine has long operated under the precept of Primum non nocere, or ‘first, do no harm.’ The draft legislation violates that standard on many levels.”