Error Correction Physicians organizations on HCR from 2009/2010

In 2009, I had tracked down the largest medical organizations to determine their position on the then current Health Care Reform Bill, HB 3200. At the time, I reported that 8 of the 10 largest physicians organizations supported HB 3200. I noted at the time: 

For completeness, #8, the American Society of Anesthesiology and #10, the American College of Radiology are still against reform until they get reimbursement "fixes." 

 

Then, on Nov. 11, 2009,  I wrote:

Now that the American Society of Anesthesiology has voted to support the House Bill, we now have an AMAZING NINE OF of the TEN largest physicians organizations supporting reform.

That, apparently is incorrect, and my colleagues Vivek Murthy and Harold Pollack linked to my post from Feb. 9, 2010, indicating that the ten largest organizations supported health reform with a public option. That last part, I believe, is/was true in that all of those organizations were supportive of the public option (the ASA when reimbursement was delinked from Medicare rates). As my blog post states, 

SO, actually, the BIG NEWS is that 10 of the 10 largest physician organizations support health reform with a public option.

I must have inferred or confused the ASA support with the public option with overall support, and I suspect that this was due to the massive focus on the public option issue at that point in time.

As I look back at the other posts I wrote since then, including the one Vivek and Harold cited, I have an exclamation point beside the ASA, as it surprised me so much. 

 

But I have spent over an hour looking, and although I found press releases indicating qualified support by the ASA, I cannot find anything indicating unqualified support. And, as they pointed out to Harold and Vivek, they did issue a formal statement against the FINAL reform bill in March, 2010.

BUT, ASA correction noted, nearly all of the major physicians organizations supported the House Bill (which included the Public Option and the SGR fix), and continued to support the final bill, warts and all.

So, my apologies to the ASA and to Harold Pollack and Vivek Murthy. I will go back and note this correction in the old posts.

Sincerely,

Christopher M. Hughes, MD

 

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