Statement attributable to:
Jack Ende, MD, MACP
President, American College of Physicians
Washington, DC (February 6, 2018) — The American College of Physicians (ACP) supports the newly formed United States of Care initiative and its goal of ensuring access to affordable health care for all Americans. This new nonpartisan, nonprofit initiative advocates for economically and politically feasible solutions to our nation’s current health care challenges.
The mission of the United States of Care—“to ensure that every single American has access to quality, affordable health care regardless of health status, social need, or income”— is aligned with ACP’s longstanding commitment to universal coverage and access to care. We concur with the urgent need for the implementation of health policy programs that work towards expanding access while stemming health care spending, rather than pursuing divisive solutions that limit care and fail to address the very real barriers to access, including the high cost of care.
As a physician, I understand first-hand the importance of patients being able to access medical care. It’s a story we’ve seen too many times: patients being unable to access the medical care and services they need because they cannot afford it, or do not have access to it. The United States of Care offers an opportunity for physicians to join with others to reach consensus on vital policies to increase access to care for Americans, helping physicians become better advocates for patients and their unique needs. We are especially encouraged by the initiative’s emphasis on grass roots advocacy, engaging stakeholders, reaching out to consumers, offering health policy expertise to state and federal lawmakers, and promoting state-based programs as precursors to national policies.
As our health care landscape continues to rapidly change for physicians and other medical professionals across the country, ACP calls on our nation’s leaders to recognize that patients, and safeguarding their access to affordable care, must remain a top priority.
ACP looks forward to working with this multi-stakeholder effort to put politics aside and come together to positively influence change in the U.S. health care system.
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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.
Contact: Jackie Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org