Last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed by a 26 to 2 vote the "Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 1999," (HR 1304), also known as the Campbell Bill. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. George Gekas (R-PA) were the only two members of the House Judiciary Committee to oppose the bill. This landmark antitrust relief legislation would level the playing field between enormous health plans and individual patients and physicians. The bill would allow physicians to come together to negotiate with health plans over contract provisions, so physicians could continue to fulfill their role as patient advocates.

The final bill that will go the House floor contains four amendments supported by the AMA:
Hyde Amendment--Applies a three-year sunset provision to the legislation, with a study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a requirement to report back to Congress six months prior to the expiration of the Campbell bill.
Nadler Amendment --Prohibits exclusive contracting and applies Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the bill.
Conyers Amendments--The first amendment removes all references to Medicare and Medicaid from H.R. 1304 in order to eliminate the possibility of a sequential referral to the Ways and Means and Commerce Committees. The second amendment removes all references to existing federal programs, eliminating any sequential referrals to other committees. This amendment also amends the Hyde amendment by requiring the General Accounting Office to conduct the study following the sunset of the bill instead of the Federal Trade Commission.

Contact your Representative and urge support for this vital legislation when it is considered on the House floor. If your Representative serves on the House Judiciary Committee please call and thank him or her. Members can be found at http://www.house.gov/judiciary/mem106.htm

Physicians for Responsible Negotiation (PRN) is a new breed of labor organization founded by the AMA to help physicians. PRN is an independent, national negotiating organization for non-supervisory employed physicians and medical residents aimed at giving you the collective voice you need to advocate aggressively for your patients and yourself in today's challenging health care environment. Our goal is to ensure working conditions where physicians have the time and resources necessary to deliver the highest

quality patient care. PRN understands the shared values of the medical profession and is committed to protecting medicine's high standards of ethics and professionalism.

PRN has created Sustaining Memberships for self-employed physicians, medical students, non-supervisory employed physicians, and medical residents who are not part of a certified collective bargaining unit. As a Sustaining Member, you will have the chance to come together and support your fellow physicians who are already facing challenges in the workplace. Someday, you might be eligible to join a collective bargaining unit and thanks to Sustaining Members, PRN will be there to assist you. Membership is $50 annually for physicians and $25 annually for medical students and residents.

If you would like more information about PRN or an application to become a sustaining member, please visit our website at www.4PRN.org or call 312-464-4PRN.

The YPS invites you to submit nominations for the 2000 AMA-YPS Community Service Award. Through this annual awards program, the YPS strives to recognize and encourage excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians, but to stimulate similar efforts by other young doctors.

General Criteria is as follows: community service activities implemented as a medical society project OR by individual young physicians will be considered; the nominee(s) must be AMA members; Community service activity must have occurred during 1999 or 2000, or the individual must have demonstrated a commitment to significant community service over a lifetime; the AMA-YPS Governing Council will select the award recipients based on the following: positive effect on a given community or population, thoroughness of program/project planning and implementation, completeness/comprehensiveness of information submitted. All entries must be received by May 15, 2000. E-mail yps@ama-assn.org for additional information and a nomination form.

The AMA has branded an American Association of Health Plans' TV campaign attacking physicians as a last-ditch attempt to poison Congress's effort to produce patients' rights legislation acceptable to both the House and the Senate. "Each and every AAHP ad will serve as a reminder that HMOs are spending premium dollars on propaganda instead of patients," said Nancy W. Dickey, MD, the AMA's immediate past president. AAHP's attack campaign was first reported in USA Today, which quoted from the ad's script: "Get patients the care they need instead of getting lawyers the clients they want."

In October 1999, the House passed the Norwood-Dingell bill (HR 2990), which is a broader piece of legislation than the legislation passed earlier in the Senate (S 1344). The AMA supports the House version for many reasons, but basically because it puts patients first. The patients' rights legislation has now gone to a conference committee made up of appointed members of the House and the Senate. Official bipartisan conference activity began on Thursday, March 2, 2000. A listing of the House and Senate Conferees on the patients' rights legislation is at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/basic/article/200-365-1.html. The AMA sent a detailed letter to each of the conferees that outlines the essential elements that must be included in the conference report they will be debating over the next few weeks.

The AMA believes that the bill that emerges from the conference must:

• Allow physicians to make medical decisions, not insurance companies
• Hold health plans accountable when they make decisions that hurt patients
• Allow patients an independent, timely appeal if care is delayed or denied
• Ensure adequate choice of treating physicians, including specialists
• Protect all Americans covered by managed care plans, not just some

Contact your elected representatives to tell them that a strong and meaningful patients' rights package must come out of the conference committee for approval on the House and Senate floors. To see how your Representative voted on Norwood-Dingell, go to http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/basic/article/200-521-1.html.