"Improving the health care system for patients and physicians is a top priority of the American Medical Association, and I am honored to join President Obama as he works toward reform. His inclusion of physicians in the summit emphasizes the critical role those who provide health care play in the reform effort.
"Physicians see first-hand how patients are hurt by not having health insurance. All Americans should have health insurance and high-quality affordable health care, regardless of employment or health status. Covering all Americans will ensure that people can get the preventive care they need, which will keep them healthy longer and keep the nation's long-term health care costs down.
"We are hard at work to ensure that physicians can continue to care for seniors, and the President's budget took an important step toward achieving that goal by including $329 billion to stop Medicare physician payment cuts. Looming physician shortages and aging baby boomers highlight the urgent need to permanently fix the Medicare physician payment system to preserve seniors' access to care.
"The ongoing emphasis on health care from the White House signals that the administration is seizing this historic opportunity to improve the system. The AMA is committed to working with the administration and Congress on health system reform."
About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional and public health issues. Working together, the AMA's quarter of a million physician and medical student members are playing an active role in shaping the future of medicine.