In a press release that came out today, the American Medical Association announced that, at its annual meeting, members voted to keep the existing policy, concerning patient care and individual health insurance.

The policy, which has raised some questions and controversy with AMA members, supports individual responsibility for health insurance (with assistance for people who cannot afford it).

“The AMA has strong policy in support of covering the uninsured, and we have renewed our commitment to achieving this through individual responsibility for health insurance with assistance for those who need it,”Cecil B. Wilson, MD, and President of the AMA, said. “The AMA’s policy supporting individual responsibility has bipartisan roots, helps Americans get the care they need when they need it and ends cost shifting from those who are uninsured to those who are insured.

“Important insurance market reforms, such as an end to coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions, are only possible by having broad participation in the health insurance market.”

The press release went on to explain that, “The AMA discussed various alternatives and realized that any other plan, in regards to covering the uninsured, cannot be fully successful in covering the uninsured without individual responsibility for health insurance, as the decision had to stay in line with AMA policy.”

The AMA House of Delegates (HOD), is made up of providers of physician services, who represent each and every medical and state medical specialty. The HOD reaffirmed this policy, as well as, a slew of other patient care and healthcare-related policies.