Outgoing AMA President Urges Physicians to Channel Frustration into Action for Healthcare Reform
AMA
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
In his last address as the president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Bruce A. Scott called on physicians to channel their frustrations with the healthcare system into actionable reform. He highlighted the detrimental effects of significant pay cuts for physicians over the past 25 years, contrasting it with the financial successes of hospitals and insurance companies. Dr. Scott criticized insurance companies for undermining medical decisions, illustrated by an example of a denied urgent surgery that compromised patient care. He urged physicians to use their collective discontent to advocate for changes in the Medicare payment system and tackle challenges such as prior authorization and rising care costs.
