gleannfia Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I am trying to paste the link here but it is not working. But go to MedPage Today, and look for "AMA asks Obama to cover vets outside the VA" It is infuriating. Of course, they are looking for a way to get their greedy fingers in another pie. But what got me riled is their comments on Np/Pas, and how we need more "supervision." Gag me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted June 11, 2014 Moderator Share Posted June 11, 2014 CHICAGO -- The AMA wants President Obama to expand health coverage for veterans by allowing physicians practicing outside the Veterans Affairs system to bridge the gap for veterans unable to access VA care. The move by the AMA came after its House of Delegates unanimously approved the move, which was promoted in a pair of resolutions -- one from the Organized Medical Staff Section, and the other from the Florida Medical Association. "When we looked at what was going on with the Veterans Administration, it became clear that the AMA really needed to take some leadership role in what we could do," Lee S. Perrin, MD, Boston, the delegate from the Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS), said in the reference committee. Perrin said the OMSS was specifically asking for the AMA to encourage physicians to treat veterans in need of care, and to develop and provide useful materials to help non-VA physicians treat veterans who have health complications unique to veterans. Florida delegate David McKalip, MD, of St. Petersburg, said that the bill before Congress to remedy the VA problems is "too little, too late." "Our AMA needs to call for President Obama to get out his pen, use his phone, and do what he does well -- take action -- allow access to abundant care outside the VA, pay the full vets bill for them, and make sure that you don't ask us to provide care for free or at Medicaid rates. That's why the words 'full financial benefits' are in there," McKalip said in the reference committee. Rowen K. Zetterman, MD, from Omaha, Neb., an American College of Physicians delegate, who is a veteran and former chief of staff at a VA, told his colleagues reimbursement shouldn't matter. "We should be willing to stand up and care for these veterans whether we get full payment or not -- whatever that stands for," Zetterman said. Although, support was unanimous, Tripti C. Kataria, of Chicago, an alternative delegate from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), didn't think the resolution went far enough. "We also are concerned over access to physician health care within the VA system," she said. Kataria touched on the ASA's issue with independent advanced practice nurse anesthesiologists, and fears over APNs gaining greater clinical independence as the VA scrambles to fill treatment gaps for veterans. Pennsylvania delegate Marilyn J. Heine, MD, of Dresher, Penn., speaking for an coalition of states that border the Great Lakes, strongly supported Kataria's concerns over lack of physician oversight of NP/PA clinicians. "While we feel that it's important to increase the staffing at the VAs, we also feel it's extremely important they have physician-led team-based care. It's of paramount importance that physicians be the leaders of those teams, and we know that the VA track record dilutes that, and we're very concerned that they don't dilute it further," she said. But Lt. Col. Paul Friedrichs, MD, speaking as an individual, warned that the AMA should not get hung up on minor issues when access to health care is life and death for some veterans. "I would ask that we rise above our day-to-day disagreements. The urgency today is about access. I am deeply concerned that if we change the AMA's discussion from access and addressing that urgent need to arguing over whether its access to physicians for this care and NPs for that care, we will dilute the most important message, which is we've got to fix the access," he said to the reference committee. The Department of Defense prohibited Friedrichs from discussing the issue further withMedPage Today. After the delegates approved the measure all veterans serving in the HOD were asked to stand to receive the applause of their colleagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gleannfia Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks. For some reason, I couldn't post the link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 My clinic has been working with the VA system to become a satellite out reach clinic for Native American veterans. It has been a long paperwork red-tape process going on now for 3 years. When it is finalized GUESS who will be the PCP of the veterans?????? Yup. Me. Little 'ol me. You read that right. If it goes well as a pilot project then will be opened to non-native veterans. BTW...I see plenty of veterans anyway...they avoid the VA clinics and the drive is just too far away. Did the AMA not get the memo that PAs are collaborative provides in the VA system and work autonomously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocialMedicine Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Maybe in a few years the AMA spokeswoman can cite how numerous PAs are trying to become competent clinicians and are attending medical school for those skills to work in primary care and how this supports the notion that NP and PAs require extensive physician oversight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gleannfia Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 My clinic has been working with the VA system to become a satellite out reach clinic for Native American veterans. It has been a long paperwork red-tape process going on now for 3 years. When it is finalized GUESS who will be the PCP of the veterans?????? Yup. Me. Little 'ol me. You read that right. If it goes well as a pilot project then will be opened to non-native veterans. BTW...I see plenty of veterans anyway...they avoid the VA clinics and the drive is just too far away. Did the AMA not get the memo that PAs are collaborative provides in the VA system and work autonomously? That's great, Paula. I have to say, though, the veterans at my CBOC are all pretty happy with their care. I have personally "voucherized" a number of vets to specialists in the community. A very good portion of them come back and want a second opinion in the VA because they were not happy with what they got out there. But that is just my experience. A lot depends on the VISN (or region). I do agree that veterans in remote areas especially should have access to non-VA care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicalRN Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 So sad. The issue is that veterans are dying waiting for care, and the first thing the AMA responds with is that we certaintly shouldn't allow PAs or NPs to fill in that gap! Clearly they care more about protecting their profession than even allowing veterans adequate access. I think when they do things like this, they just end up looking even worse to politicans and the public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gleannfia Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Most self-respecting MDs don't even belong to the AMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 11, 2014 Moderator Share Posted June 11, 2014 Most self-respecting MDs don't even belong to the AMA. agree. less than 10% do so no one really cares what they say.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gleannfia Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 agree. less than 10% do so no one really cares what they say.... Wow, I knew it was low but didn't realize it was quite that tiny a %. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocialMedicine Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 someone cares what they say if all the major news media outlets cover their stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 agree. less than 10% do so no one really cares what they say.... Except our country's legislators, the media, the public, and us...since they have a habit of making us look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.