America’s Young Doctors Are Embracing Universal Healthcare
Doctors are a pretty strong lobby here in the US, and the way they feel about our healthcare system influences legislation that impacts all of us, be it insurance reimbursements or ER visits. For many generations, the American Medical Association (AMA), one of the the largest physician advocacy groups in the country, has been staunchly opposed to single payer healthcare, often because of concerns around physicians’ autonomy.
But that could all be changing. Grappling with intense paperwork, a volatile insurance market, and economic demands, many young doctors are looking to universal healthcare as a means of streamlining their work to refocus on patient care. For the first time ever, the AMA this year held a hearing to discuss whether or not it should drop its anti-single-payer stance. While younger doctors couldn’t fully persuade their counterparts, the AMA promised to at least research and study the possible benefits of a Medicare for All-type model.
On today’s podcast, Kaiser Health News reporter Shefali Luthra discussed the generational shift with Tonic editor Susan Rinkunas.
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This article originally appeared on VICE US.