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WA Doctors Tell McKenna: Put Patients Before Politics
from Doctors For America
Washington Doctors for America members recently released a letter expressing outrage at Washington's Attorney General Rob McKenna for joining a 20-state lawsuit to block implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the national health care reform that was passed into law earlier this year. 50 physicians and medical students in Washington signed a letter stating the lawsuit will harm their patients by delaying Medicaid funding and slowing the implementation of the PPACA in their state.
“The lawsuits are a distraction from the real work ahead of us to make sure all of our patients have access to affordable, quality health care”, said Dr. Vivek Murthy, President of Doctors for America. “Instead of wasting taxpayer money on politically tainted lawsuits, we need our elected leaders to focus on implementing health reform to ensure our patients get the care they need when they need it.”
cartoon by John Ambrosavage
There are over 772,000 uninsured in Washington. The new law will finally put health coverage within reach for these Washington families by prohibiting denial or higher premiums for those with pre-existing conditions, providing subsidies to families and small businesses to purchase insurance, and creating competitive state exchanges where consumers are in control of their health coverage—not insurance companies.
"After over a year of difficult deliberation, the Congress and the President passed a health care bill that will help thousands of patients receive necessary care. The bill is a step in the right direction. It was supported by both Washington senators and the majority of our elected congressmen and by our Governor. For implementation to now be blocked by the Attorney General is an example of the paralyzing partisan politics that cripples our democratic process. If a citizen feels their rights are compromised, they can file a suit. But to use taxpayers dollars in a time of serious deficit to promote a political agenda is deplorable. Please Mr. McKenna, cease and desist!" said David Baughan, MD, a family physician in Olympia, Washington.
Doctors for America is a national movement of 15,000 physicians and medical students fighting for a system in which every American has equal access to quality healthcare. We envision a fair, effective and affordable healthcare system—one fundamentally transformed and guided by the core values of doctors and their patients. For more information about Doctors for America, please go to our Web site at www.drsforamerica.com
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