The Kansas amendment backing states' rights was voted down by almost 60% of the delegates. A similar amendment seeking to give states flexibility was offered by another delegation but was ruled as out of order. The delegates backed this ruling and voted down the amendment.
Frances Correa contributed to this report.
AMA president Cecil Wilson said, “What is important to emphasize is fully two-thirds of the House said today our policy is good.”
Source Alicia Ault/Elseiver Global Medical News
In other news at the AMA House of Delegates meeting:
Medicaid as Block Grants
The AAP introduced a resolution calling for the AMA to strongly oppose block granting Medicaid. Dr. Garretson spoke on the need to maintain the federal/state partnership under Medicaid so that recipients can be ensured of basic benefits no matter where in the United States they live. “Right now, what this language says is that the state gets to decide,” she said. “Well, I live in that state where they could give a you-know-what about the 1.1 million uninsured kids and they don't want to do anything with Medicaid. That's just not where they are.” Dr. Marion Burton, also an AAP delegate, agreed. “For the AMA to go on record as supporting block grants would cause millions of children to be thrown under the uninsured bus,” he said. The resolution was referred to the board of trustees for a later decision.
Membership Hit
Some state delegations complained during the debates that the AMA's support of the ACA had led to a decline in membership. Dr. Niranjan “Bonki” Rao, president of the New Jersey Medical Society, said that he had been a top recruiter for the AMA, but that it was becoming an uphill battle. “After recent events, it has become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to convince doctors to join AMA,” Dr. Rao said on the House floor. Overall membership declined by 5%, or about 12,000, from 2009 to 2010, to a total of 215,854 members. An AMA committee looking at membership issues reported that the numbers for 2011 may increase this year.
Ban on 'Bath Salts'
The House of Delegates adopted a policy to support a national ban on “bath salts,” synthetic substances that can cause severe physical and psychological effects including paranoia, hypertension, tremors, hallucinations, and violent behavior. The substance contains compounds including methylenedioxypyrovalerone and is sold at head shops nationwide in the form of crystallized or powdered bath salts that users eat, inject, or inhale. Some states have banned bath salts or are considering doing so.
Patient Counseling
Absent any further discussion or debate, the House of Delegates unanimously passed a resolution opposing any state or federal restriction on the topics physicians can discuss with their patients. The resolution was introduced in reaction to a Florida law restricting doctors inquiring about gun ownership, unless there is a related health or safety concern. The resolution states that such measures restrict the doctor's first amendment rights and restrict the privacy of the patient-physician relationship.
Body Image and Healthy Eating
The Medical Students Section introduced several resolutions aimed at addressing the affects of the obesity epidemic on youth. One resolution, passed by a voice vote, encourages fast-food restaurants to offer nutritious items such as salads at price parity with sandwiches and fries. The same resolution discourages marketing incentives such as meal toys. Opponents argued the AMA should not interfere.
–Frances Correa