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AMA
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Some worried the policy statement could “put a target” on the AMA’s back
by
Shannon Firth, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
November 12, 2024
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates endorsed subsidizing healthcare for undocumented immigrants on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges during their interim meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Monday.
As of June, six states and the District of Columbia provide fully state-funded coverage to some income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status, and as of Nov. 1, some Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients may be eligible for coverage on the ACA exchanges.
On a related question of whether to support extending the enhanced ACA subsidies overall, the House also voiced its support, with some changes.
However, not all delegates were on board. Jordan Warchol, MD, MPH, a delegate from Nebraska, said she worried that passing such a resolution right now wasn’t prudent.
Given the current political climate and that President-elect Trump only recently named a “border czar,” Warchol, who spoke on her own behalf, suggested that the House wait a few months.
“Passing this policy today … may unnecessarily put a target on the back of this organization at a time that we really do not want that,” she said, arguing that if the media got wind of the resolution’s passage, it might negatively impact the association’s priorities for the next 4 years.
The resolution was not “bad policy,” she stressed, calling it a “reasonable” statement for the AMA to make, but for the optics and the timing.
A committee focused on medical service and practice advocacy appeared to draw a similar conclusion, suggesting that the policy statement be referred for study.
However, on Monday afternoon, the House overruled the committee’s recommendation, and in a vote of 362-259, adopted the resolution.
Luis Seija, MD, a delegate for the Minority Affairs Section, the primary sponsor of the policy statement, argued that no further investigation was necessary, as the resolution included nearly 20 different references to studies backing the concept.
“The evidence shows that uninsured individuals, particularly those in undocumented communities, experience higher rates of preventable illness or chronic disease and worse overall health outcomes,” Seija said. “Subsidizing health insurance would allow undocumented immigrants to access care when they need it, not just in emergencies, leading to healthier communities overall, as well as a more inclusive, equitable, and efficient healthcare system.”
Frank Zhou, a medical student speaking on behalf of the PacWest Conference, also argued against referring the statement for further study.
“This policy is simply good for everyone and all stakeholders involved,” Zhou said, noting that it’s good for patients, because they get better healthcare, and good for the healthcare system, because it keeps immigrant patients from relying on emergency departments, which not only lowers costs, but reduces boarding.
It’s also good for physicians,