The creation of a public health insurance plan - optional for patients, of course - is one of the biggest obstacles to passing a bipartisan health reform bill.
It's also a highly politically sensitive subject, as a recent spat between the AMA and The New York Times shows. The Times ran an article today stating that the AMA "is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system."
But the AMA says it's not completely opposed to the idea of a public plan - it's only opposed to a plan that would require you and your peers to participate. "The AMA opposes any public plan that forces physicians to participate, expands the fiscally-challenged Medicare program or pays Medicare rates," said Nancy Nielsen MD, the group's president, in an online statement. But the group is willing to consider "other variations of a public plan that are currently under discussion in Congress."
Nielsen also states that the Times story "creates a false impression about the AMA's position on a public plan option in health care reform legislation."