Legislators who spoke at the American Medical Association National Advocacy Conference encouraged physicians to continue to advocate for reform to address some of healthcare's biggest policy issues.
Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD, spoke at the event in February and told physicians that all members of Congress are aware of some of the most pressing concerns, such as CMS' physician pay cut and limits on physician hospital ownership, and that changes need to be made, according to a March 22 post by the AMA.
"Keep up the pressure," Dr. Bucshon said. "Your advocacy is critical."
Rep. Ami Bera, MD, who also spoke at the event, stressed the importance of having physicians in legislative roles and encouraged more clinicians to run for office.
"Unless you've been at the patient's bedside or in an operating room or exam room, you're not aware of healthcare's complexity," Dr. Bera said. Having physicians in Congress allows decisions to be made with input from those who "understand how policy will translate to practice."