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Delaware Academy of Family Physicians
DAFP Position Statement - Health Care Reform
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Delaware Academy of Family Physicians
September 2009
Position Statement – Health Care Reform
We, the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians, support the current health care reform legislation efforts in Congress. The DAFP joins the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), our parent organization, in offering this support. Key features of the legislation as it currently stands are supported by the DAFP.
We believe that this legislation will improve health care for our patients. Several benefits are worth mentioning. The most important gain is the extension of health insurance coverage to the millions of uninsured citizens of the United States. This will immediately improve the health and wellness of so many of our fellow Delawareans. The DAFP also recognizes that this legislation is supportive of primary care. It increases both compensation for primary care services and funding for educational programs which train primary care providers. A strong primary care network is central to the health of a community, and this legislation will assist in rebuilding the nation’s primary care system. A strong primary care system is also essential if health care spending is to be controlled. Additionally the legislation supports the concept of the patient centered medical home, where the patient and their Primary Care provider work in collaboration towards better health.
Several other key features present in this legislation will benefit the health of our community. The legislation prohibits denial of coverage for persons with preexisting health conditions, often a barrier to obtaining health insurance. It also places caps on annual out of pocket spending by those who already have insurance. This will lower the risk of bankruptcy for those with catastrophic illness and resulting high medical bills. It prohibits lifetime and annual limits on benefits, so coverage can not be lost. The legislation also establishes essential benefits that an insurance plan must cover, such as preventive care services, mental health care coverage, and dental and vision care for children. We hear many complaints about the “donut hole” in the Medicare part D prescription drug coverage program, when prescription drug coverage is temporarily lost. This donut hole has forced some of our seniors to go without their medications mid year, which can worsen their illnesses and contribute to increased hospitalizations and costs. Under this legislation, the donut hole will be eliminated.
The legislation supports comparative effectiveness research, which seeks to use an evidence based medicine approach to evaluate treatment options. Evidence based medicine is widely accepted by physicians to be a cornerstone of improving health care quality. Under this system, panels would objectively study medical interventions and provide reviews that patients and physicians can use. This will help to improve health care outcomes in the United States, and is essential if health care quality is to be improved and health care costs are to be controlled.
Finally, the legislation recognizes that health care providers are responsible for discussing end of life care with their patients. While this has been an area of misunderstanding, it is actually quite simple. As physicians we already have these discussions with our patients, to make sure that we do as much as the patient wants, no more and no less, when a life threatening event occurs. No government entity would dictate the outcomes of these discussions.
If successfully passed, this health care reform legislation will mark a milestone in the progress of the United States towards addressing the health care needs of its citizens and creating a more cost-efficient system. It seems to us that this legislation keeps the positives we as physicians see in the present system, and helps to decrease the negatives. We encourage our legislators in Washington D.C. to listen to one another, to seek compromise, and to pass meaningful legislation that will benefit their constituents--our patients--and the nation. Please feel free to speak to your Family Physician for their perspective on these issues. For more information you may also wish to go to www.aafp.org and click on “Health Care Reform.”
The Delaware Academy of Family Physicians
PO Box 8158
Wilmington, DE 19803
302-479-5515; fax 302-459-5518
www.delfamdoc.org; e-mail: delfamdoc@comcast.net
