Dec 16, 2009 / 16:26 pm
On Tuesday, Dr. David Stevens, CEO of the Christian Medical Association (CMA), announced that he is canceling his membership to the American Medical Association as a public protest of the group's endorsement of the House health care bill and its promotion of liberal social policies.
“I can no longer associate with or support and organization that is unscientific, unprofessional and controlled by special interests,” said Dr. Stevens in a letter to the AMA earlier this week.
Dr. Stevens has also urged the 17,000 members of the CMA to “carefully consider if they should continue their memberships,” citing reasons such as the AMA's support of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same-sex 'marriage' and medical marijuana, as well as the recent allegations that the AMA endorsed health care overhaul legislation after “behind-closed-doors” negotiations with lawmakers.
“The AMA claims to put the needs of patients first and then meets with Senate leaders to bargain for higher physician Medicare reimbursement in exchange for support of healthcare reform legislation,” claims Dr. Stevens in his letter. “This unseemly, behind-closed-doors session trades the future welfare of our patients away for physicians' personal gain.”