The president of the American Medical Association delivered heavy criticism as he gave his farewell address. With calls to cut Medicare and Medicaid and the attacks on organizations providing medical research, Dr. Bruce Scott, of Louisville, called on the medical community to turn “action into anger.”
Another area Scott spotlighted in his address was the student loan system that could be reshaped by the “Reconciliation Bill,” moving through Congress.
Sarah Ladd has been covering this story for the Kentucky Lantern. In an interview with WEKU, she said, Dr. Scott's concern is the future affordability of medical school and what that means for rural areas.
“There's a well-documented physician shortage and healthcare workforce shortage, we need more, not fewer healthcare workers. His thought was that the way that this would change the student loan process and system would make it unaffordable for a lot of people to get that education.”
She said Scott was particularly upset about the “Reconciliation Bill” and how it handles healthcare programs.
“He talked about Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and things like SNAP being lifelines for people who really need those sort of safety net programs. We know, and has been reported that the bill proposes quite deep cuts to Medicaid.”
Ladd said Medicaid healthcare provides for about 1 in 3 Kentuckians. She reported that Scott also used his farewell address to criticize insurance companies that deny doctor-recommended care.
More on Sarah Ladd's reporting on Bruce Scott's departure can be found here.
