AMA votes for ‘national labor organization
AMA votes for national labor organization’
Saying they are not interested in a "traditional labor union," delegates of the American Medical Association (AMA) voted in late June to establish a "national labor organization" representing employed physicians and residents.
"Our objective here is to give America’s physicians the leverage they now lack to guarantee that patient care is not compromised or neglected for the sake of profits," said Randolph D. Smoak, Jr., MD, chair of the Chicago-based AMA.
Specifics of the organization’s agenda are yet to be developed. General goals of the organization include the following:
• advocating on the state level for laws such as Texas legislation that gives independent physicians the opportunity to "collectively bargain"
• challenging what they call "abusive and unfair" contract provisions such as those requiring physicians to participate in all or none of a health plan’s products;
• advocating for HR 1304, the federal legislation allowing physicians to bargain collectively;
• supporting independent housestaff organizations.
The AMA has about 291,000 members, approximately 35% percent of the nation’s licensed physicians.
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