Obama opens to applause at AMA
Doctors showed more than just polite bedside manner to President Obama Monday as he sought their help in taming medical costs.
(AP)
PHOTO GALLERY
Obama in Chicago
Though many doctors and Republicans say Obama's health reforms would lead to "socialized medicine," 2,200 members of the American Medical Association rose to their feet in nine standing ovations for Obama Monday, clapped at all his applause lines and only booed him once.
That was when he said he opposed capping the amount of money juries can award in lawsuits against doctors.
"We were thrilled because this is the first Democratic president that has talked with us about any liability reform," said AMA president Nancy Nielsen. "We know first-hand that change is needed ... that the status quo isn't acceptable."
Nielsen and AMA president-elect James Rohack have been to the White House where Rohack told Obama, "Unless we have protection in a courtroom for not ordering a test, we're going to order those tests." Obama appeared receptive to their arguments, and he signaled that in his speech Monday, while not committing to specific tort reforms.
His plan to insure every American who wants to be insured could cost $1 trillion, but that's less than the cost of not doing it, Obama said, saying he would pay for it by reforming Medicaid and Medicare and cutting income tax breaks for the wealthy.
"He hit home when he talked about the fact that as doctors, we just want to take care of people," said Arlington Heights internist Steven Malkin. "Where he really fell flat was when he talked about tort reform, especially here in Cook County, a hotbed of lawsuits. No matter how professional we are, a lawyer is going to sue us."
About a third of America's 750,000 doctors are members of the AMA, and the group has been effective in scuttling past attempts at restructuring the health care system. Obama promised to listen to the doctors and asked them to be open to reform at their convention at the Hyatt Regency.
Obama said his plan to create a government-financed "public option" insurance plan for the nation's 46 million uninsured "is not your enemy -- it's your friend."
The doctors were skeptical. Some said they feared a government plan would gobble up private insurance plans.
Obama assured the doctors that was not his plan: "When you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run health care, know this -- they are not telling the truth," Obama said to applause.
The doctors themselves have their fights with insurance companies, and some of the doctors' strongest applause came in response to Obama's criticism of insurance companies.
"I need your help, doctors. Because, to most Americans, you are the health care system," Obama told them. "Americans -- and I include me and Michelle in this -- we just do what you tell us to do. We listen to you, and we trust you. That is why I will listen to you and work with you to pursue reform that works for you," he said to a standing ovation.
Republicans took a dig at the president's plans: They noted as Obama met Monday afternoon with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy -- a country with more government involvement in health care -- that when Berlusconi needed heart surgery, he came to Cleveland.