AMA Now Says Government Funded Insurance Would be OK – CMS Proposes 21.5% Medicare Physician Pay Cut

Just a few weeks ago, we heard a different story of just the opposite, interesting how things are changing so rapidly today and new opinions emerge to the opposite. The AMA didn’t like the idea of Medicare for all as it is going broke, but so are many hospitals so is it a race of who goes broke first?

Also today was the proposed Medicare Pay cuts, 21.5% which has been an event every year in which Congress has rushed in to save the day, but this year it appears to be a bit different with shifting funds. The big issue is moving payment to physicians for drugs administered into another budget area, but this too could perhaps open up some avenues to maybe negotiate some cheaper prices, but on the other hand, especially with expensive cancer drugs it gets a little touchy as some of the Oncologists are also having issues stocking the drugs for chemotherapy and other treatments, again we are back to square one cost, so cheaper drugs seem to be one of the pieces of the puzzle here. BD

(CNN) — The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation’s doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.

Dr. J. James Rohack told CNN that the AMA supports an “American model” that includes both “a private system and a public system, working together.”

In May, the AMA told a Senate committee it did not support a government-sponsored public health insurance option.

“If it’s good enough for Congress, why shouldn’t it be good enough for individuals who don’t have health insurance provided by their employers?” Rohack said.

He said AMA opposed expanding Medicare coverage for senior citizens into a broader general public plan, noting that the plan is “going broke” and fails to cover the costs of participating doctors.

AMA president: Group open to government-funded insurance – The CNN Wire - CNN.com Blogs