Physician’s For A National Health Program, a group that advocates a single-payer health system, yesterday charged that the influential Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for “essential” health coverage under the new national health law are “skimpy” and biased and could “cause much suffering” for patients.
In response to the accusations, detailed in a letter sent to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a spokesperson for the IOM, Christine Stencel, wrote this in an email message:
The committee’s report lays out the solid rationale for each of its recommendations and speaks for itself. We invite all interested people to download a free electronic copy and read it to see exactly what it said in terms of balancing coverage and cost.
Here’s the full news release from the national physician’s group:
More than 2,400 doctors, nurses and health advocates denounce Institute of Medicine’s health coverage recommendations
IOM panel ‘riddled with conflicts of interest’ in violation of agency’s own guidelines, signers of protest letter charge
In a letter sent to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and posted on the Internet today, more than 2,400 physicians, nurses and other health advocates condemn the recommendations of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee regarding the “essential benefits” to be mandated under the 2010 federal health reform law. Continue reading