The American Medical Association (AMA) on Aug. 23 launched a three-year, multimillion-dollar campaign called Voice for the Uninsured to spur action to cover the uninsured. This year the AMA is reaching out to voters and candidates to talk about the problem of the uninsured and the AMA’s solution. It has also launched a new web site to allow consumers to learn more about the AMA’s proposal, sign a petition, and share a personal story. The second year of the campaign will focus on influencing Americans to vote for president with the issue of the uninsured in mind. The third year, post-election, the AMA will urge members of Congress to pass legislation to cover all Americans.
“The AMA campaign is grounded in the sad fact that one in seven Americans is uninsured,” said AMA president-elect Nancy Nielsen, MD, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “That’s not just a statistic, it’s a tragedy. The campaign gives a voice to these 45 million uninsured patients who desperately need one.”
