Bobby Jindal of the Department of Health and Human Services says he wants to put doctors and patients back in control

CHICAGO: The United States Congress recognizes the great work Indian-American physicians have accomplished in the country, according to Bobby Jindal, deputy assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The George W. Bush administration has been working hard to make the medical system more physician-friendly, he told a packed luncheon at the 20th Annual Convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

Coming flush from a legislative victory in the House the night before where Bill HR 4954 was passed, raising physician fees from Medicare payments by 6 percent, Jindal said the U.S. administration was committed to give back control of patient care in the hands of physicians and not insurance companies or government regulations.

“I have consistently heard from legislators how important Indian physicians are to this country,” Jindal said.

“We have come this far because of the work you have done. No longer do we have to go and tell senators and representatives —- they come and tell us.”

He praised AAPI for its voluntary work in India as well as for its research in areas of diabetes among South Asians in this country.

“The President said ‘I want to put the patients and doctors in control.’ This has profound implications for quality care, technology, malpractice reform and Medicare,” he maintained. The alternative is to slowly relinquish medicine to the government.

“Doctors don’t want to practice insurance, but medicine. You don’t go to medical school to learn how to push papers,” he noted, echoing the concerns of the physician community.

“The House took a very firm step last night to give doctors back the control,” he said, “We firmly believe we can trust patients and doctors.” The current system was replete with wasteful and repetitious procedures, he pointed out. “We have grocery carts full of forms doctors have to fill every time they see a patient.

“You are winning the battle,” Jindal declared, “Both Democrats and Republicans understand how important you are to the health care system in this country.”

Jindal’s remarks were followed up by Mike Maves, chief executive of the prestigious American Medical Association (AMA).

“Indian-American physicians are on the move at AMA,” Maves declared. Just this year, AAPI received delegate status on the AMA. “You have shown the philanthropy that I wish AMA to follow and I look to a fruitful association between AMA and AAPI.”

The main issues the AMA is pursuing on Capitol Hill relate to professional liability. Court judgments he noted seemed to be going “out of sight,” and many companies were going out of the insurance business because of this, he noted. “Liability and malpractice are running away with the health care system,” he warned, adding that he hoped a bill regarding this would be before Congress by this fall.