AMA Will Continue to Lobby for Poor and Uninsured No Matter SCOTUS Decision

Whatever decision the U.S. Supreme Court hands down on Thursday regarding the Affordable Care Act, the American Medical Association says it will continue to lobby lawmakers on behalf of the poor and uninsured.

Dr. Ardis Hoven, a Kentucky physician who was recently named President-elect of the AMA, says healthcare reform can’t move forward with what she calls a “minimalist Congress.” Dr. Hoven says,

"They don’t do anything. They don’t work across the aisle. They don’t collaborate. And we in this country cannot afford to deal with issues of the uninsured and quality of care and access to care in an environment when the politicians are so tied up in their own politics and not willing to deal with the real world issues out there.”

The American Medical Association supports the Affordable Care Act, which opponents have dubbed Obamacare. Hoven says the legislation is not perfect, however, and work still needs to be done in calculating how doctors are reimbursed for treating patients on Medicare.