The American Medical Association

[a_propagandist]

You know, of all this talk of reform, which I support, regardless of which side we talk to, the AMA is totally disregarded. Approaching the medical care problem by addressing the AMA's political influence is a necessity if we want to have meaningful reform. From what I've read, it creates too many barriers to becoming a doctor in the US; its limits restrain our supply of medical services. Anyways, discuss please.

 

[amadeus]

I agree, I've often felt left out of health care debates.

 

[Bill3000]

I agree, I've often felt left out of health care debates.

 

[Richard Cribb]

I agree, I've often felt left out of health care debates.

I thought we agreed that you were Amy?

 

[a_propagandist]

Oh crap, I set myself up for that one.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

You know, of all this talk of reform, which I support, regardless of which side we talk to, the AMA is totally disregarded. Approaching the medical care problem by addressing the AMA's political influence is a necessity if we want to have meaningful reform. From what I've read, it creates too many barriers to becoming a doctor in the US; its limits restrain our supply of medical services. Anyways, discuss please.

The AMA does not have any official authority, and even its political influence has been waning in the last several years.

The AMA's only official role is that it administers the application services for medical school and post-graduate training programs. You can get anyone with IT experience to run that service, and they would probably do it better than the AMA. It has no authority to license doctors or validate any practices or institutions. It has 2 publications: JAMA and Archives of Internal Medicine. These two medical journals have little prestige today, compared to their prestige in the past. I regard them as second-rate at best. The AMA has been losing respect from doctors due to its perceived staunch conservativism and an inability and perhaps unwillingness to adapt to the changing climate of medical practice. Their membership rolls have been decreasing and I have spoken to many doctors who have withdrawn their dues due to bad experiences with them. For example, many have noted that the AMA will side with private insurers and large hospitals instead of standing up for proper medical care, or the very doctors that are their members. That should tell you where the AMA's true loyalties are.

As far as I'm concerned, the AMA's influence should be deliberately ignored so as not to give them any confidence in their supposed abilities. I noticed that the AMA was originally categorically against the Obama health plan, but then suddenly changed their tune when they noticed that there was public support for it. Now they pretend like they've always been in favor.