MINNEAPOLIS, November 12, 2008–Optimism was in the air as the AMA House of Delegates convened this week in Orlando for their Interim Meeting. Minnesota physicians saw eight of their state's resolutions accepted.

"The meeting was very good overall," said Blanton Bessinger, M.D., member of the AMA's Council on Constitution and By-Laws and an alternate delegate. "Our delegation saw eight of its resolutions pass. It all went very well." 

John Van Etta, M.D., was elected chair of the Minnesota delegation, replacing Frank Indihar, M.D., who retires in January. Raymond Christensen, M.D., was elected vice chair of the delegation. Van Etta also continued as chair of the AMA Council on Legislation. 

Anthony Jaspers, M.D., served at the Interim Meeting as a member of Reference Committee B. And Paul Matson, M.D., has been asked to join Speaker of the House Jeremy Lazarus, M.D.'s speaker's advisory committee, to offer input on how make the House of Delegates as efficient and as effective as possible.

Van Etta was upbeat about the prospects for health care reform. "No question the AMA is in the best position of any organization to influence the right kinds of change in the year to come," he said.

It is just as certain that Minnesota physicians will play a role in that change. The AMA took action on the following six resolutions introduced by the Minnesota delegation this week. Links are to the resolutions as presented—final wording will be posted when available:  

Resolution 206, on Educating Physicians and Patients about the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007,  was adopted with changes, directing the AMA to provide physicians and the public with information about the new law on its website.  

Resolution 207, Support for 20/220 Pathway, was reaffirmed by the House of Delegates, which means that support for easing the tuition debt loads of medical students will remain AMA policy for another 10 years.  

Resolution 817, Tools for Informed Patient Choice and Shared Decision Making, was adopted as amended with minor changes. It asks the AMA to educate physicians about the importance of shared decision-making tools and to move towards patient-centered care.  

Resolution 818, Joint Commission Credentialing of Low-Volume Physicians, was adopted. It calls on the AMA to study the challenges of developing fair criteria for credentialing low-volume providers.  

Resolution 819, Physician-Directed Personal Care Team as Medical Home, was rolled into another resolution and adopted as amended, asking the AMA to adopt the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home, joining the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association in endorsing the principles.  

While Resolution 826, Physician Reimbursement for Death Certificates and Cremation Authorizations, was not adopted by the House of Delegates, the resolution was widely discussed, and the importance of improving death certificate standards was acknowledged.

The AMA also acted on three resolutions relating to Medicare geographic inequity co-sponsored by the Minnesota delegation and delegations:  

Resolution 810, Geographic Practice Cost Index (vs dmrkynetec Survey)
Resolution 811, Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) Rent Determination
Resolution 812, Geographic Devaluation of Quality  

The House of Delegates acted to combine the three resolutions into a substitute resolution, affirming the policy of equal pay for equal work regardless of geographic location.