Contact: Richard Gulla
rgulla@mms.org
(781) 434-7101
Waltham, Mass. - March 20, 2010 - The Massachusetts Medical
Society today issued its qualified support for the health care
legislation scheduled for a vote in the U.S. House of
Representatives on Sunday.
In a letter today to the Massachusetts congressional delegation,
MMS President Mario E. Motta, MD, said, "On balance we believe this
legislation should go forward, to fulfill the promise of providing
all Americans with health insurance coverage and to enact long
overdue insurance reforms. This legislation builds upon the
groundbreaking Massachusetts universal coverage law. HR 3590 is a
first step to meaningful health care reform and to achieve
universal coverage for all Americans.
"At the same time, our members strongly believe that we must
work with you and the entire delegation to make certain that
Congress enacts legislation to ensure that patients will have
access to physicians, and to correct other problems with this bill.
It is crucial that Congress pass a permanent change to the Medicare
physician payment formula this year, and correct provisions in this
bill that would undermine the quality of health care, such as the
Independent Payment Advisory Board, the value modifier index and
other provisions. We also urge Congress to continue to work for a
more comprehensive approach to medical liability reform."
Dr. Motta also thanked the members of the state congressional
delegation for its work to ensure that the federal legislation
supports and maintains the progress that Massachusetts has made to
extend health care coverage to more than 96 percent of
Massachusetts residents.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 22,000
physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and
advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The
Society publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading
global medical journal and web site, and Journal Watch alerts and
newsletters covering 13 specialties. The Society is also a leader
in continuing medical education for health care professionals
throughout Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education
programs for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in
1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in
the country.
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