White House Summit 'Opening Pitch' for Healthcare Reform скачать в хорошем качестве

White House Summit 'Opening Pitch' for Healthcare Reform

www.medpagetoday.com WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Major healthcare stakeholders convened Thursday at the White House to launch this decade's move for healthcare reform. Citing failed healthcare reform movements in the past, President Barack Obama promised physician groups, health insurance executives, pharmaceutical representatives, business leaders and members of Congress that this time would be different. "This time, the call for reform is coming from the bottom up and from all across the spectrum -- from doctors, from nurses, from patients; from unions, from businesses; from hospitals, healthcare providers, community groups," Obama said. "This time, there is no debate about whether all Americans should have quality, affordable healthcare -- the only question is how?" Healthcare groups represented among the more than 120 summit participants were the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, and the physician groups including the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians. "We are included in a way that we were not included before," AMA President Nancy Nielson, M.D., told MedPage Today. "It sends a signal that physicians will be involved." Physicians are more involved in the politics of healthcare than before, and there is a lot at stake, said Irwin Redlener, M.D., a pediatrician and president of the Children's Health Fund. "Physicians have a lot to gain by an intelligent effort to bring some sense and organization and structure to healthcare," said Dr. Redlener. The ACP, the American College of Cardiology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics were the only specialty societies included in the summit. Nearly half of the invitee list were members of Congress. Other stakeholders represented at the summit included: Health advocacy groups such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, and Planned Parenthood Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business Labor unions Insurers such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield and their major trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans Drugmakers, including Pfizer and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association Citizen groups such as AARP At a press conference during the summit, Obama's press secretary Robert Gibbs stressed that the summit marks the very early process of healthcare reform. "This has bedeviled administrations before," Gibbs said. "This is the opening pitch -- this may even be the ceremonial first pitch." But he added that groups typically seen as odd bedfellows coming together is a sign that the movement might have a better chance at gaining steam. ACP President Jeffrey Harris, M.D., said the buzz among members of Congress at the summit was, "We don't ever recall seeing an effort of this magnitude and with such a diverse group of stakeholders gathered together trying to get to healthcare reform." Wrapping up the session, Obama said the event was a major success to open up dialogue between everyone involved in reform. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, reiterated a pledge to have a bill ready in June made earlier in the week by committee chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who received cheers from the attendees, said that he's looking forward to being a "foot soldier in this undertaking," indicating he may leave the heavy lifting of health reform to Baucus, who sat next to him during the closing session. Medpage Today: http://medpagetoday.com Online CME - Continuing medical education: http://www.medpagetoday.com/cme/ Latest medical news: http://www.medpagetoday.com/latest/ The MedPage Today app: iOS: https://goo.gl/JKrkHq Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... MedPage Today Youtube Channel:    / medpagetoday   Medpage Today on Facebook:   / medpagetoday