AMA Reinforces Commitment to Cover the Uninsured at Annu...( CHICAGO June 16 -- The American ...),Health

CHICAGO, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Medical Association's commitment to cover the uninsured was clear today, as thousands of physicians reaffirmed the current AMA proposal to cover the uninsured, and voted to study the impact of free clinics on improving access to health care for the uninsured, and to study the tax treatment of health savings accounts.

"While we work to cover the uninsured, we need to find ways to care for those in need now," said AMA Board Member Cyril Hetsko, M.D. "The AMA will be looking into ways free clinics can fill the void for uninsured patients until we can get everyone covered."

About 4000 AMA members are attending the AMA Annual Meeting this week in Chicago, a policy-making meeting held every June. In conjunction with the meeting, the AMA posted uninsured billboards around Chicago as part of the Voice for the Uninsured campaign, the AMA's three-year, multi-million dollar effort to spur action to cover America's uninsured. Two new campaign television ads were unveiled at the meeting and will begin to air across the country this fall. The AMA distributed new informational packets about the AMA's proposal to cover the uninsured to physicians attending the meeting and launched a newly updated campaign Web site: http://www.voicefortheuninsured.org.