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AAFP Statement: Family Physicians Commend Congress for Overriding Veto of HR 6331

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Statement Attributable to:
James King, M.D.
President
American Academy of Family Physicians

Family physicians across the nation commend the U.S. House and Senate for overriding President Bush’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (HR 6331). This vote demonstrates Congress’ understanding that uninterrupted access to health care for America’s elderly or disabled patients and our military families takes precedence over protecting private insurance plan profits.

We applaud Congress for taking the side of patients in their vote to override President Bush’s veto. HR 6331 will provide the time Congress needs to both reform the Medicare physician payment system and implement the medical home concept. Such reforms will ensure access to personal physicians and help rein in costs by ending our duplicative, fragmented system of health care.

Contact: Leslie Champlin, Public Relations Manager
800-274-2237, Ext. 5224
lchampli@aafp.org

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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents more than 93,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.

Nearly one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 215 million office visits each year – nearly 48 million more than the next medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide the majority of care for America’s underserved and rural populations.

In the increasingly fragmented world of health care where many medical specialties limit their practice to a particular organ, disease, age or sex, family physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person across the full spectrum of ages. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.

To learn more about the American Academy of Family Physicians and about the specialty of family medicine, please visit www.aafp.org.

For more information about the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care and downloadable multi-media on family medicine and health care, visit the AAFP Media Center.

For more information about health care, health conditions, and wellness, please visit familydoctor.org.