Physicians: Here's a Chance to Talk to Congress

The most impactful case for healthcare in a generation is now being heard before the U.S. Supreme Court: King v. Burwell. It is a case that could gut the Affordable Care Act, and one whose decision may well rest more on the court's confidence that Congress will respond to protect the estimated 7.5 million people who will face the reality of the actual cost of health insurance, than the law or constitutional implications of the argument.

Congress is far from tone deaf to these concerns. On March 24, the National Physicians' Congressional Health Care Advisory Group, a collection of 39 thought leaders, has been called to Washington, D.C., among a number of other similar expert-laden advisory groups representing various factions and functions in the healthcare industry and operating separately from this one. The meeting is organized by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and will be held in a Capital Building Committee Room steeped in history that, hopefully, its occupants for this meeting will be mindful of.

I will be participating with my Osler Health counterpart and fellow advisory group member, Thomas Bellavia, a family physician and one of the nation's foremost experts in physician-based networked care systems.

Between us we have over 80 years in this business and a lot of well-formed positions and ideas.

What we don't have are all of the questions.

If you could lobby the U.S. Congress directly, what would you say, or, in our case, have said on your behalf? You can e-mail me directly (see my author page) or simply leave a comment below.

We will be monitoring both and will share your thoughts and concerns in a written brief to members of Congress, and, especially, their healthcare aides, attending the conference as well as within the healthcare-related committees and the physician's caucus.

I will share the results and impressions of this meeting at the beginning of April.