In response to the health care reform bill introduced by the three House committees with jurisdiction over health care, H.R. 3200 the “America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” NASS sent a letter to House leaders expressing concern for a number of provisions in the package.  The primary concern of NASS is that elements within the overall package will fail to control costs, fail to improve quality and fail to increase access to care.

NASS voiced concerns with the adoption of a public plan option that does not address impending primary and specialty care workforce shortages or clearly reduce costs over the long term, and is equally troubled by a proposal that would create a Health Benefits Advisory Committee or Independent Medicare Advisory Council with little to no physician input or oversight. NASS also urged House leaders to recognize the medical liability climate that limits access to care and adds millions of dollars per year to the health care system through defensive medicine by including reforms within any serious comprehensive health care reform effort.

View the letter sent to Speaker Pelosi here.

For more information about NASS’ position on any of the issues covered in this letter contact the NASS Advocacy staff at advocacy@spine.org  or (630) 230-3600.

In addition to Speaker Pelosi, NASS sent identical letters to:

Rep. Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader
Rep. John Boehner, House Minority Leader
Rep. Henry Waxman, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman
Rep. John Dingell, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Emeritus
Rep. Joe Barton, Ranking Member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman
Rep. Nathan Deal, Ranking Member of the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee
Rep. Charles Rangel, House Ways & Means Committee Chairman
Rep. Dave Camp, Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Committee
Rep. Pete Stark, House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Chairman
Rep. Wally Herger, Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee
Rep. George Miller, House Education & Labor Committee Chairman
Rep. Howard McKeon, Ranking Member of the House Education & Labor Committee
Rep. Robert Andrews, House Education & Labor Health Subcommittee Chairman
Rep. John Kline, Ranking Member of the House Education & Labor Health Subcommittee