Perhaps this will help with an eye to eye, face to face discussion to explain the plan. The AMA only has one fourth of US Physicians as members, but still is a large bargaining power who too has lost a big amount of revenue. This is an interesting stance though with all the lawsuits they have brought about against insurance carriers and their practices over the years. It just comes down to a couple items, a known situation versus an unknown, what will be the compensation under a government plan. Secondly, it’s about the money. When you look and see what pays the salaries of 
healthcare officials at hospitals, groups, etc. it is insurance so despite all the disputes and legal cases over the years, it’s about money and keeping those levels of compensation. Combined with the “unknown” and fear of money loss, I think this is perhaps why we are seeing some strange bedfellows.
Layoffs and Budget Cuts hit the AMA (American Medical Association)
What would be an alternative plan? That is a good question that has been kicking around for a while through Congress and almost everywhere else you can think of. Sure, the insurers might stand to lose some business, but who in the US has not with the economy so is it more important to keep going status quo with a system that is failing many for the fear of trying something new? With a new player, sure things would have to change with some new competition, but that’s been what the US business scenario has been about for years. Are we going to do take a gamble here and do in our hearts what we feel is best or stay with the known factors we have today.
A report from the American Hospital Association:
The lack of transparency is a pretty big fault that we see discussed all over. When other businesses are striving for this, it appears there’s little or no action on the part of the health insurers. Sure there have been some areas with a little progress, but not enough, otherwise I don’t believe we would be at this crossroad right now. The president experienced this first hand with his mother, so he knows, and this sometimes sets with what I talk about with all our leaders, first hand knowledge and experience, technology included. Do organizations really represent our causes today first hand without bias?
Again, if interest in this area was really a pursuit from the insurance side of the business I don’t think we would be where we are. It is somewhat crazy to think they will go out of business for goodness sakes and to use that as a ground for shooting down an alternative plan that might help the citizens seems somewhat ludicrous. The business enjoyed many very profitable years and more than likely has around 2 trillion gathered all together in reserves to show for it, which reserves are required by law to keep from being insolvent, but questions over the years too have arisen over the amounts stored in “rainy day” funds too. I don’t tend to see any real alliances either with the various big corporations either. AIG, when they had their issues, did any other companies offer any support…we know that story as they stood by and watched.
If an alternative plan is engaged, it will call for the insurers to reform the way they do business, as has every other organization in the world, but to date, their industry has remained pretty much untouched, and expansions with Venture Capital funds from profits have continued too. I have sometimes pondered whether this is still at true insurance business run by the thought processes of VCs. 
In a related story, out today, several papers, according to the Los Angeles Times buried the story too about the President calling for a Government health plan. You can read more about it here, with the Los Angeles Times being the only one who felt it deserved front page headlines.
In summary, this is somewhat of the reason we are seeing some strange bedfellows here, money one more time. With 43% of our US hospitals operating in the red, do you not think they are worried? Sure they are and again we have the known versus the unknown. It has been a case of a bit of a technology war too with algorithms and formulas to make money used against those who did not buy in, that’s a given and there’s no need to repeat this as it has been in the news for years, so the greed is not hidden. If we don’t try something new, and I mean really new, not just more smoke and mirrors that we have seen with small concessions and statements, nothing will change and we will remain on the same path we have been on for years heading for a crash.
Again, it is the first hand experience that lends education and that is what the President is aware of and the grounds for his stance, it is the voice of experience and nothing said can replace it as actions speak louder than words. I guess it is a bit scary going up against someone who has had first hand experience and knowledge in this area with the “heart” of the issue. BD
The debate picked up Thursday over whether to include a government insurance option in an overhaul of U.S. health care. The largest U.S. physician group said it had serious questions and reservations about the idea.
The American Medical Association, which represents about one-fourth of U.S. physicians, will hear from President Barack Obama next week when its 500-plus policymaking delegates gather in Chicago.
Obama to meet with American Medical Association to discuss health care overhaul - Kansas City Star
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