Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Texas), said when he proposed amendments for a permanent fee fix and tort reform, House Commerce Committee Chair Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) told him the amendments were not necessary because the AMA had already signed off on the health reform bill.
Washington insiders also criticized the AMA’s demand for total repeal of the fee cuts at a cost of $240 billion, which Congress viewed as an unacceptable expense in a time of growing concern about the mounting federal deficit.
But the AMA stuck to its stance and refused to support an alternative five-year fix proposed by Congressional Democrats last month. The result was passage of a six-month fee fix, which expires a few weeks after the November elections.
The AMA paid heavily for its high political profile, spending $6.2 million on lobbying in 2010, far more than other health groups, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks political spending.
Read the Politico report on the AMA.
Read more Becker’s coverage on the AMA.
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