AOA Re-Releases Statement of Healthcare Policies and Principles to Coincide with Announcement on America's Uninsured Populations

(Washington, DC) October 30, 2006 —
The American Osteopathic Associations (AOA) has re-released its Statement of Healthcare Policies and Principles, adopted at the AOA's House of Delegates meeting in July 2005, to coincide with the Census Bureau announcement today that the percent of Americans without health insurance hit 15.9%, or roughly 46.6 million people, in 2005, up from 15.6% of the population in 2004, or about 45.3 million people.

The following statements highlight the osteopathic profession's position on improving access to healthcare for the uninsured population.

• The AOA supports universal healthcare coverage in which all Americans have access to healthcare coverage. Coverage can be provided through federal and state programs, private programs, or a combination of the two. Universal coverage should not be confused with a single payer healthcare system.
• The AOA supports the use of the tax code (tax credits and deductions), new purchasing agreements, and the limited expansion of existing federal and/or state programs (including Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP) to accomplish this goal.
• The AOA opposes the establishment of a single payer healthcare system in which the federal, state, or local government is the primary source of funding for healthcare services, excluding any existing federal or state programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP.
• The AOA opposes attempts by the government to mandate healthcare coverage through a defined benefit or defined contribution program.
• The physician-patient relationship must be protected.
• Physicians, in cooperation with their patients, must maintain a high level of autonomy to control the healthcare services provided. Federal policies must not interfere with laws governing patient protections or healthcare rights.
• Policies should support the ability of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers to provide care for patients. Physician compensation for care provided must not be jeopardized by federal, state, or local policies.

The complete Healthcare Policies and Principles statement is available at http://www.do-online.osteotech.org/pdf/aoa_postiona-f.pdf.

AOA Responds to Medicare Payment Policies
October 5, 2006
AOA President John A. Strosnider, DO, wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today regarding the Medicare program, revisions to Medicare payment policies under the physician fee schedule for calendar year 2007, and other changes to payment under the Part B proposed rule. The AOA surveyed its membership in July, asking what actions they would take if the projected Medicare payment reductions were implemented: 21% would stop providing services to Medicare patients; 25% would stop accepting new Medicare beneficiaries; and 38% would limit the number of Medicare patients accepted in their practice. As the letter states, physicians cannot afford to have the gap between cost and reimbursement continue to grow at the current rate. The AOA will continue to advocate for proper physician reimbursement. Read President Strosnider's full letter on the AOA Daily Reports Blog.

Collaboration to Protect Public Health
October 5, 2006
At the suggestion of AOA Trustee Max T. McKinney, II, DO, the AOA will sign on to a letter to be sent to a number of celebrities associated with Anheuser-Busch's Bud.tv Web asking for their support in implementing better age-verification technology to prevent minors from accessing the site. We are hoping that the celebrities' prominence will cause them to act, and that their "leverage" will be more persuasive with Anheuser-Busch than our voices alone. The AOA joins numerous other organizations concerned about public health in this initiative from the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV, which the AOA already supports.

PBS series, "Remaking American Medicine"
October 5, 2006
A new, four-part, PBS series, "Remaking American Medicine," will be broadcast this week on PBS stations nationwide. According to the PBS website, the series provides insights on where and how health care is being redesigned in the United States, and focuses on critical issues in health care improvement, such as building systems to fight deadly infections, partnering with patients to manage chronic care, and creating reliable communication processes to taking responsibility for serious and tragic medical errors. The 100,000 Lives Campaign is featured as one of the catalysts enabling hospitals and front line staff to accelerate and spread improvement efforts. Complete details about the series and local broadcast times are available at: www.remakingamericanmedicine.org.

Health Policy Notes
October 2, 2006

• The 9/25/06 USA Today reported on a study regarding family caregivers in America that found 91% feeling depressed, 69% spending less time with family and friends, and 51% taking more medications as a result of providing care.
• A study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections found that smokers have a heightened risk for contracting HIV than nonsmokers, though the reason behind this risk remains unclear, as reported in the 9/26/06 New York Times.
• The American Academy of Family Physicians released a report today on the impending family physician shortage, predicting that 39% more family doctors will be needed by 2020 to meet the needs of the aging American population.

Tennessee College of Medicine Approved
The AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) has granted provisional accreditation to the Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM), located in Harrogate, TN, and to the AT Still University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, AZ. Both COMs have demonstrated their adherence to COCA accreditation standards and can now begin to solicit applications from and admit students, offer medical instruction within the approved osteopathic medical curriculum, and announce their provisional accreditation status. Full accreditation may be requested for no fewer than twelve months prior to graduation of their first classes.

What is the AOA doing About?
An AOA member recently left a comment on the AOA Daily Reports Blog asking the AOA what we are doing about Retail Clinics. Retail clinics, also known as store based clinics, are small health centers opening up in high traffic retail stores across the country where patients can see a nurse practitioner or physician assistant with no appointment, are often diagnosed within minutes and are able to fill their prescriptions if needed by the in-store pharmacy. Whether this fast growing trend will bring increased competition or collaboration is unknown but physicians, especially primary care physicians, must be prepared. The Bureau of State Government Affairs (BSGA), under the leadership of AOA Trustee Boyd Bowden, II, DO, Chair, this past July adopted a set of principles to guide care provided by retail clinics. AOA staff has also published an article to help AOA members deal with this increasingly popular trend, offering physicians advice on what they can do in response. Read the article.