Leading the Fight for Health Care Reform This Year

President's Report by Dr. Toni L. Lewis

Make no mistake, CIR doctors have been leaders in this year’s historic fight to make quality, affordable health care for all a reality.

I’ve had the good fortune to travel to every region and see the strong work so many of you achieved this summer. I know I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Ask the residents in California, where Senator Feinstein asked them to provide more stories of patients with complicated medical problems that could have been avoided if only they’d been able to afford preventative care. Ask members in New Mexico, where both senators have expressed gratitude at the voice of support from CIR doctors at their public events. Ask Congressman Pascrell in New Jersey, who at one of his town halls turned the floor over to a CIR member, Dr. Tony Tarchichi, whose eloquent and authoritative case for reform won over even some hostile critics.

Congress is listening to you, learning from you, in a way they never have before. This summer, you’ve written letters to the editor, signed scrubs as part of the “Every Patient Matters” campaigns, videotaped messages to your senators, and even taken to the radio air waves. Take a look at our back cover of this issue to see the smallest fraction of the advocacy of your colleagues – all while juggling your patient workload.

I’ll admit, it burns me up when I see people on cable television or on the Internet who presume that doctors are somehow against health care reform.CIR has not just been working alone in this health care reform summer of2009.We’ve worked hand-in-hand with partners like the National Physicians Alliance, Doctors for America, our sister union Doctors Council, AMSA and SNMA to visit members of Congress, run town halls on behalf of reform, and get the word out about what really is – and is not –in the health care bills in Congress.

Back in June, groups representing 215,000 doctors, including the American Academy of Family Physicians,released a statement saying, yes,we do want our patients to have a choice of a high-quality public health insurance option competing alongside private insurance.When CIR released its statement in support of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (HR 3200),we saw equally strong statements of support from the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Physicians and, yes, even the American Medical Association itself. Our coalition has grown to the point where half a million doctors have expressed support for health care reform this year.

If you think about it, it makes sense.The United States has put off reform in the past, only to see even more patients unable to afford the care we prescribe, even more of our judgments overruled by insurance companies, and even fewer investments in primary care, prevention,Health IT, and developing the physician workforce of tomorrow. The bills in Congress are imperfect, but they would still have a dramatic effect on the welfare of our communities and the financial health of our hospitals –for the better!

Doctors have a stake in this effort. And if we win health care reform this year, it will be because doctors have continued to lead the way.I know that many of you still have questions about how the reforms will affect you. We need you to share some of the tough questions you’re hearing from colleagues and patients, so that CIR can represent your interests and arm you with the latest information. As always, please don’t hesitate to email me any questions or comments at llewis@cirseiu.org, or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.