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AMA resolves to campaign to repeal Harkin patient access law
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The American Medical Association House of Delegates, at its annual meeting, called for members and medical specialty allies to work together toward a full repeal of the Harkin patient access law.
The AMA has opposed this law, which prevents health insurers from discriminating against optometrists, among others, in terms of plan coverage and participation, from its inception.
“Serving as the centerpiece of the American Optometric Association’s pro-access and pro-patient federal advocacy agenda, the landmark Harkin patient access law is yet another example of our unwavering commitment to our patients and profession,” AOA President
AMA Resolution 241 reads: “[We ask that] our American Medical Association promptly initiate a specific lobbying effort and grassroots campaign to repeal the provider portion of the [Affordable Care Act’s] ‘Non-Discrimination in Health Care’ language, including direct collaboration with other interested components of organized medicine.”
The AMA House of Delegates argues that the language in the non-discrimination clause is vague and that concentrated efforts should be made to “resolve the scope of practice problems that can result from this clause.”
“Further,” the resolution reads, “your reference committee agrees that the term ‘non-discrimination’ is confusing and misplaced.”
The resolution also assured AMA members that its state legislative unit continues to work with state and national medical specialty societies to address the clause in regulatory arenas nationwide, and that direct outreach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and other top agency officials will be aggressively pursued.
Hopping said the AOA’s past efforts succeeded in ending “this blatant discrimination” and changing the law, and the AOA will continue the fight to ensure that the non-discrimination clause and other AOA-backed provisions are fully and fairly implemented.
“The simple fact is that whether anti-optometry groups like it or not, millions more Americans will gain access to their local doctors of optometry because the new federal law we fought for will target the discriminatory practices of health plans. But, if we have to take on and defeat organized medicine all over again on this issue, then so be it,” Hopping said. – by Daniel R. Morgan
Reference:
- The AMA resolution is available at http://www.ama-assn.org/assets/meeting/2012a/a12-reference-committee-reports.pdf#page=42.
For more information:
- The American Medical Association can be reached at 515 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654; (800) 621-8335; www.ama-assn.org.
- The American Optometric Association can be reached at 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141; (800) 365-2219; www.aoa.org.