Now that the AMA has clearly sold out doctors on ObamaCare, people are beginning to ask just what this stakeholder has at stake.
Hal Scherz, M.D., pediatric urologist in Atlanta, writes about the AMA’s lucrative monopoly on the CPT (current procedural terminology) codes that are required by Medicare and many other insurers in the May 7 Wall Street Journal.
AAPS brought up this contract at the AMA’s Fly-In on proposed E&M documentation guidelines, as noted in the July/August 1998 issue of our journal, then titled The Medical Sentinel.
In 2001, AAPS highlighted Sen. Trent Lott’s challenge to that monopoly: http://www.aapsonline.org/press/nraapslott.htm
With such a clear conflict of interest, how can the AMA represent physicians’ interests?
2 thoughts on “AMA Outed in Wall Street Journal”
I had heard that the CPT brings AMA $70-100 million a year. Do we have figures for the total of AMA member dues? Is it less than the CPT bribe? If so, a class-action suit might be appropriate.
AMA “represents” 157,000 physicians nationwide. Docs4PatientCare represents 3000. Not very impressive statistics. I happen to agree with Dr. Scherz’ positions and am happy to see them in the national media, but must point out that not very many politicians or lay people are likely to be convinced by the opinions of only 0.3% of US physicians.
It is much more important that AAPS’ law suit be heard promptly. Please tell us what the prospects are for that.
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