AMA Modifies Stance on Self-Referrals

By Editorial Staff

At the AMA annual meeting on June 23, the 434 members of the House of Delegates of the AMA adopted the recommendation of its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs to "soften" its previously stated policy that discouraged an MD from referring patients to facilities in which the doctor had a financial interest.

While the vote is only a recommendation to the 290,000 AMA members, the policy change basically states (it's a five page "statement") that it's ethical for an MD to refer a patient, for example, to an x-ray facility in which the doctor is part-owner, if the patient is informed of the financial relationship and if the patient is given an alternate choice of facility.

The government has prohibited this practice under Medicare and Florida has declared the practice illegal.

It's anticipated that the policy statement will undergo some modification.

Vogue to Retract "Phony Chiropractic Credentials" Statement

"Watch for phony credentials," said the June issue of Vogue in its article, "Unhealthy Reading." "N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathy) and D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) are easily procured through mail-order 'universities' and diploma mills," the article stated.

In a letter to ICA staff member Catherine Elliott, the managing editor of Vogue Priscilla Flood apologized: "We regret the error in the article about degrees of chiropractic. A correction will appear in the 'Talking Back' section in the August Vogue."

The ICA also contacted William Jarvis, president of the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), as the article quoted him and made brief mention of his organization. Ms. Elliott asked Mr. Jarvis what information he supplied to Vogue. Mr. Jarvis wrote to the ICA that he didn't know where Vogue got their information about chiropractic diplomas via the mail, but stated it wasn't from anyone at NCAHF.