The exam hall becomes crowded.
It used to be exclusively for patients, doctors – and perhaps trusted loved ones and members of the care team. But now it seems like insurance companies, politicians and even law enforcement officials are intruding their way into the decision-making process.
These concerns were raised by both physician speakers and audience members at the Litigation Center Open Meeting during the AMA 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago. The program occurred after the US Supreme Court’s draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked, but before the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was formally handed down.
The meeting highlighted cases in which the American Medical Association’s Litigation Center and State Medical Societies have stood up for patients, physicians and science against politically motivated opposition to public health measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19. This includes cases where AMA amicus briefs have been cited in US Supreme Court decisions and dissenting opinions.
Learn about the cases in which the AMA Litigation Center provides assistance and learn about the Litigation Center’s case selection criteria.
Politicians against public health
Politicians versus public health
“This is part of a trend of either political entities or politicians in general — getting into the examination room, getting into clinical decision-making,” said AMA Past President Barbara L. McAneny, MD, who was a member of the audience and spoke during the question-and-answer portion. answers.
“I’m very worried about that because I think it shows the erosion of trust in the ability to rely on a doctor,” added Dr. McAneny, an oncologist/hematologist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the same subject : Shawn Mendes postpones world tour to ‘take care of my mental health’. “I see this could be the start of something even bigger as we look at the loss of Roe v. Wade and the question of whether we are criminalizing health care decision-making.”
AMA Immediate Past President Gerald E. Harmon, MD, speaker on the Litigation Center program, agreed and referenced his opening address to the AMA House of Delegates in which he said “the AMA demands that politicians get out of the exam room”.
“We could be criminals if we just gave a referral — even if we didn’t necessarily offer the procedure in person,” said Dr. Harmon, a South Carolina family physician during the Center for Litigation’s open meeting. “We can’t go there.”
Read how – while abortion is under attack – doctors reject the criminalization of care.
Patrolling medical practice
Montana neurologist Nicole C. See the article : The high roles of health care: as the pandemic wreaked havoc, CEO revenues increased. Clark, MD, a speaker at the meeting, said her state’s attorney general called members of the State Highway Patrol to arrest two doctors who refused to prescribe ivermectin to a patient.
“It’s something that’s out there … [it’s] very scary,” said Dr. Clark, past president of the Montana Medical Association (MMA) and part of her state’s delegation to the Annual Meeting.
Fortunately, the situation de-escalated and there were no arrests, she pointed out.
With the help of the Litigation Center, VMA is suing state employees over a law that deems it a violation of human rights in any way to be employees based on an employee’s vaccination status – let alone reasonably requiring them to get a vaccine.
dr. Clark noted that the law goes beyond COVID-19.
“It includes all the vaccines – going to measles, mumps, rubella, flu, whatever disease X comes out a decade from now. And that includes all vaccinations,” she explained.
The US Supreme Court allowed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine requirements for health care workers in federally funded medical facilities must be in place. This prompted the judge in the Montana case to issue a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Montana law at facilities subject to CMS regulations.
The AMA is also working with the VMA to restore the Montana Physician Assistance Program that the state has terminated.
Stay tuned for other interesting things from the 2022 AMA Annual Meeting.
