Header: WaPo Slams AMA Hard, Lands Punches Early
On Tuesday, July 14, the Washington Post had a headline article ready to run, featuring a lot of information from the RFK Jr HHS. Here. The article describes the Administration's new healthcare target: the AMA CPT and AMA RUC. Appearing so fast after the proposal came out in an obscure place, this likely indicates it was placed in the WaPo by the administration to get a headstart on the messaging.
Another clue that this was hand-delivered from HHS to WaPo - even by midnight, no other media captured on Google, other than WaPo, had even mentioned the story.
The WaPo highlighted this as a goal of RFK Jr within weeks of the November 2024 election - here. (Both today's article and he 2024 one were written by Dan Diamond).
The WaPo writes,
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his aides have spent about two years privately discussing plans for shifting away from the current system, a move cheered by some public health advocates who agree [w RFK] that the current system is flawed.
- [But] efforts at change have met fierce resistance from lobbyists.
- Financial incentives are different in other countries, where more physicians go into primary care and health outcomes are better.
- “White House aides are interested in what alternatives we have to this monopoly,” said one White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview internal plans.
The article also quotes Miriam Laugesen, who I've mentioned many times in this blog, including her book, "Fixing Medical Prices." [Note - I had the chance to meet Laugesen this spring.]
Not surprisingly, given the likely-unexpected maneuver to everyone but HHS and the Washington Post, "AMA did not respond to questions."
The article then adds, "The AMA also collects millions of dollars from...training, selling books, and charging royalties" to submit healthcare claims.
WaPo interest in the topic goes back to at least 2013, with a headline, "Secretive Panel...Distorts Doctor's Pay." The Wall Street Journal has also had a number of detailed articles on the AMA CPT & RUC. See WSJ, 2010, here. Last fall, WSJ had some early inside-track news on Sen. Cassidy's maneuvers against AMA, here.
Larry Levitt, an EVP at Kaiser KFF, said the proposal was one of just handful of areas where the Trump administration is pursuing changes.
