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BY J. MICHAEL BRODIE
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Who says Californians get to have all the fun during election season? Heck, only 135 names were listed on the governor's race ballot in California at press time. Small potatoes compared with the U.S. presidential race, where about 200 have entered the fray.
According to Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org/election_president.php), a nonpartisan citizen's election organization, there is a candidate in this year's presidential race to suit nearly every political taste: from the traditional Democrats and Republicans to representatives of such groups as the Prohibition, Anti-Hypocrisy and -- yes -- National Barking Spider Resurgence parties.
Admittedly, some parties mentioned above exist simply for the fun of it. Others represent Americans with disparate points of view exercising their right to shape political debate. The presidential election is still about a year away, but it is not too soon to initiate serious discussions on key health issues facing you and your patients.
To help you do this, the Academy has posted online the leading presidential contenders' views on health issues (http://www.aafp.org/x22202.xml) and AAFP recommendations and background information on pressing pieces of legislation (http://www.aafp.org/x623.xml).
If you would like to become more involved in the political races, you can also contact your chapter executive for updates on candidates' forums in your area. A brief summary of some health issues the Academy has prioritized follows; summaries of additional issues of interest to AAFP and its members appear in the online version of this article.
Health care coverage for all
Since 1989, the Academy has sought to reform America's health care system to include health care coverage for all. "People without coverage obviously don't get the health care they need," said AAFP President James Martin, M.D., of San Antonio. "As family physicians, we see this as unnecessary suffering, and we believe that a system guaranteeing care would result in a healthier and more productive society. Our plan would cover all people who reside within the U.S. borders and would guarantee basic services for everyone and protect against catastrophic losses. With this, we all win."
Prescription drug benefit through Medicare
The Bush administration has proposed a Medicare drug benefit along with other Medicare reforms that would cost taxpayers an estimated $400 billion over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a House Medicare bill (H.R. 1) would cost $408 billion over the same period, while the Senate version (S. 1) would cost $462 billion.
"AAFP supports adding a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program that is available for our seniors," Martin said, "but neither the House nor Senate bill meets the standards desired in the AAFP policy."
The Academy supported passage of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (H.R. 663), which passed the House of Representatives on March 13. The Academy supports similar legislation in the Senate (S. 720). Both bills would create federal confidentiality protections for reports of medical errors voluntarily submitted to patient safety organizations.
Medical liability
The House of Representatives has passed the HEALTH Act (H.R. 5), which addresses medical liability. The reforms contained in the HEALTH Act have a proven track record following their adoption in California in 1976. Since then, medical liability premiums have risen 505 percent nationwide, while California's premium increases have risen by only 167 percent.
"We support passage of medical liability legislation that contains a package of reforms such as have been effectively utilized in California for the past 27 years," said Martin. "We need to balance the need to appropriately compensate patients who have been harmed against the need for all Americans to have access to medical care."
To reach writer J. Michael Brodie, e-mail mbrodie@aafp.org.
FP Report is published by the AAFP
News Department.
Copyright © 2003 by American Academy of Family Physicians.