America’s Frontline Physicians Urge Immediate Reversal of Decision to Discontinue CSR Payments

Oct 13, 2017

Washington, D.C. — Our organizations, which represent more than 560,000 physicians and medical students nationwide, are alarmed by the President’s decision to abruptly take away financial support that aids low-income families in purchasing health care coverage. The decision to discontinue cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments stands to hurt the most vulnerable individuals and families, raising cost for them and the federal government.

This decision is not consistent with the Administration’s pledge to provide individuals and families with more options to secure affordable health care coverage. Elimination of CSR payments makes that goal harder, if not impossible, to achieve.

Our organizations call on the United State Senate and House of Representatives to take immediate action to restore these payments. A failure to address this matter will result in dramatic, if not catastrophic, increases in premiums across the country — resulting in millions of people either losing their health care coverage due to either insurer departures from the market or their inability to afford coverage.

We remain committed to working with the Administration and the United States Congress to improve our nation’s health care system. However, we cannot and will not support efforts to deliberately undermine and destabilize our health care system. Such actions are inconsistent with the missions of our organizations and lack the basic elements of good governance and public policy.

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About the American Academy of Family Physicians

Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 124,900 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that's 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions (5 page PDF) on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org(www.familydoctor.org).

About the American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 66,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.

About the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 152,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

About the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation's leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women's health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion. www.acog.org

About the American Osteopathic Association

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 129,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools. Visit DoctorsThatDO.org to learn more about osteopathic medicine.

About the American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association is the oldest medical association in the country founded in 1844. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Follow us on Twitter at @APAPsychiatric. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.

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