As states continue to show indecision regarding the establishment of health insurance exchanges, the American Medical Association has decided to enter the fray. The association, comprised of medical professionals throughout the U.S., has issued a number of recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services. The AMA has suggested a number of rules that would serve as protection for patients and physicians participating in the exchanges. The AMA has also stated that physicians and patients should have a governing role in a state’s health insurance exchange program.
Though the Affordable Care Act continues to be a source of controversy, the provision that requires states to build exchanges is becoming increasingly popular. Each state has the opportunity to run its own exchange, which provides physicians, insurers and consumers a unique opportunity to participate in the program’s governance.
The AMA is looking to play a role in running the exchanges, hoping to ensure that medical professionals in each state are not taken advantage of by insurers or consumers. The shifting insurance environment has placed a great deal of focus on the rising costs associated with medical care, much of which comes from physicians using cutting-edge technologies to diagnose and treat mundane illnesses. The AMA hopes to hold some sway with exchanges in order to allow physicians to continue operating in a manner they see fit without having to worry about whether insurers will protest.
