CTS Position Statement on the November 3rd Election: October 2020
Ordinarily, the 2020 elections would have stood out simply due to the pivotal decisions that we face as individuals and healthcare professionals as we look towards the policies and politicians that will represent us and shape our lives, communities, and practices. The mere existence of the Afforda- ble Care Act, with hotly debated topics including reimbursement for healthcare providers, the tax- payer and individual cost and breadth of health insurance coverage, and the ever increasing bur- den of EMR would have been ample cause for potent discussions involving clinicians, patients and politicians. Statewide, discussions about healthcare benefits for gig economy workers, tighter regu- lations on dialysis centers, and taxes on business property also result in vigorous debates pertinent to our professional expertise. From a social policy standpoint, how the pillars of institutional racism are carried forward, or systematically dismantled, by the people we elect and measures we support directly affects the healthcare disparities that we see in our practices every day. (1)