Speaking Truth to Power
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Colleagues:
This week, I had the opportunity to meet directly with members of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees and its newly announced Executive Vice President, Dr. Jon Whyte. On behalf of New York’s physicians, I expressed—unequivocally—our deep frustration over the inability to convince Congress to pass something as fundamental as full inflation-based adjustments to physician payment, as is standard for Medicare Advantage and hospitals.
Despite our concerns, I came away encouraged by the selection of Dr. Whyte and the willingness expressed by the Board to chart a new course. With MSSNY’s own Dr. Willie Underwood ascending as President-Elect of the AMA, I am optimistic that, together with other MSSNY leaders, meaningful change is more achievable than before despite a difficult political environment.
At the AMA House of Delegates meeting, an emergency resolution passed following the abrupt dismissal of all ACIP advisors. MSSNY’s Dr. Sarah Nosal, President-Elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, quickly assembled a coalition of over 50 groups to demand their restoration and sent a formal letter calling for oversight by the appropriate committee. These baffling actions erode public trust in vaccines—at a time when preventable measles outbreaks are causing unnecessary morbidity and death. Let me be clear: vaccines save lives. There is no substitute—period. This issue will be explored further in an upcoming piece by WNYC/Gothamist.
Disappointingly, the Grieving Families Act (GFA) once again passed. I immediately drafted a response pointing out that so-called “caps”—which serve as common-sense guidance to quantify subjective damages like pain and suffering—already result in premium variability of up to 560% across New York for the same specialties. Same laws. Same covered lives. Yet vastly different—and arbitrary—outcomes. The GFA proposes to add even more subjective awards—grief, anguish, and loss of companionship—now extended even to first cousins. Unsurprisingly, this could increase malpractice premiums for New York physicians by 40%. My response drew the attention of the New York Times, and I sat for an in-depth interview lasting over 30 minutes.
Finally, in a tone-deaf move, an insurance industry lobbyist recently published an op-ed defending prior authorization. I’ve written a response to the piece, which will be published in the Buffalo News in the coming days.
Your continued membership and PAC contributions through mssnypac.org give me—and your entire elected leadership—the chutzpah to cut through the noise, call out hypocrisy and inefficiency, and fight for a better healthcare system for our patients and our profession.
All the best,
David Jakubowicz, MD, FACS
MSSNY President
