Obama has accused doctors of doing tonsillectomies to make money, and he has falsely implied that surgeons cut off legs for a profit. The actual reimbursement for an amputation is approx 800$ NOT 40,000$. This kind of rhetoric is alarming and disturbing. Please spread the news that this must stop.

Please contact our state senators and voice your concerns regarding the healthcare reform proposals: Barbara Boxers number is 213-894-5000 and Diane Feinstein’s number is 619-231-9712.

CMA Objects to Obama’s Misleading Statements about Physicians

President Obama has recently made his case for health reform by using some misleading and inflammatory rhetoric. While discussing the importance of prevention, he has implied that physicians’ treatment decisions are financially motivated and incorrectly stated that surgeons are paid $30,000 to $50,000 to amputate a foot. CMA wholeheartedly agrees with the President on the importance of prevention, but the examples he used were inaccurate and offensive and could undermine the trust central to the physician-patient relationship.

At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on August 11, President Obama said, “All I’m saying is let’s take the example of something like diabetes, one of — a disease that’s skyrocketing, partly because of obesity, partly because it’s not treated as effectively as it could be. Right now if we paid a family — if a family care physician works with his or her patient to help them lose weight, modify diet, monitors whether they’re taking their medications in a timely fashion, they might get reimbursed a pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that’s $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 — immediately the surgeon is reimbursed. Well, why not make sure that we’re also reimbursing the care that prevents the amputation, right? That will save us money. (Watch the video here.)

At a press briefing on July 22, President Obama said, “Part of what we want to do is to make sure that those decisions are being made by doctors and medical experts based on evidence, based on what works…. Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. … the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, ‘You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out … I’d rather have that doctor making those decisions based on whether you really need your kid’s tonsils out, or whether … something else would make a difference…. So part of what we want to do is to free doctors, patients, hospitals to make decisions based on what’s best for patient care.” (Watch the video here.)

CMA released the following statement to the media regarding the President’s statements.

August 13, 2009

Sacramento – The California Medical Association issued the following statement today, attributable to CMA President Dev GnanaDev:

“CMA is deeply concerned about two examples of medical treatment recently used by President Obama to make his case for health reform.
“In the first example, he stated that surgeons make $30,000 to $50,000 to amputate a foot of a diabetic. This assertion is false. Medicare pays surgeons $589 to $767 for a foot amputation. Medi-Cal pays $420 for the same. Hospital and other associated costs may add up to the greater amount, but it is incorrect and misleading to suggest the surgeon’s costs are responsible for that figure.

“We share the President’s belief that we need to put greater resources towards primary and preventive care in order to keep people healthier and help address the nation’s rising health care costs. However, preventive care will never obviate the need for qualified physicians and surgeons to take corrective action to improve or save people’s lives.

“In the second example, the President suggested that physicians take out children’s tonsils to make more money. This implication is inaccurate and offensive.

“Doctors treat patients based on the health needs of the patient, not the financial incentives. When science suggests overutilization may be occurring, the medical profession has responded with improved guidelines to more fully inform physicians of the risks and benefits of any treatment or procedure.

“The California Medical Association is committed to reforming our health system to increase access to quality care and reduce rising health care costs. To achieve health reform, the American people must be able to trust our elected officials and the statements they make regarding health care.

“Patients trust their doctors. That trust is critical to an effective and successful doctor-patient relationship. We urge the President to stick to the facts and avoid the kind of misleading and inflammatory rhetoric that would erode that trust and derail our efforts to increase access to quality care and control rising health care costs.”

Dr. GnanaDev is a trauma surgeon and chief of the medical staff at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, San Bernardino County’s public hospital.