By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Writer The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest physician organization, has announced that it will not support President Obama’s government-sponsored insurance plan, a position that is considered to be a setback for advocates of a public insurance plan. According to a report by The New York Times, the group’s opposition comes just as Obama prepares to address the powerful doctors’ group on Monday in Chicago. The AMA, which has about 250,000 members, is a powerful lobbying group that donates generously to political campaigns. Since the 2000 election cycle, it has contributed $9.8 million to Congressional candidates, with Republicans receiving the bulk of their money. The AMA claims to be committed to the goal of affordable health care for all, but said health services should be “provided through private markets, as they are currently.” It is the first time the group has reacted to specific legislative proposals being drafted by Congress. However, the group indicated its position in comments submitted to the Senate Finance Committee where the said “the AMA does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.” If private insurers are pushed out of the market, the group said, “the corresponding surge in public plan participation would likely lead to an explosion of costs that would need to be absorbed by taxpayers.” White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said the president plans to  “outline the case for health care reform,” in his address to the AMA on Monday, and to “make clear why we can’t afford to wait another year, or another administration, to bring down costs that are crushing families, businesses and government.” Dr. Nancy H. Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, told the Times she was delighted by Mr. Obama’s plan to address the doctors. “Health care reform is as important to us as it is to him,” Dr. Nielsen said. “We will be engaged in discussions in a constructive way. But we absolutely oppose government control of health care decisions or mandatory physician participation in any insurance plan.” © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®  http://www.womenofgrace.com