Contact: Den Trumbull, MD, FCP, American College of Pediatricians, 888-376-1877

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 4, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- The College supports good common sense ideas which will reform healthcare in a way that would help families and children to thrive. Because ACA does not meet this standard, the College supports its nullification.

The US healthcare system has major shortcomings including waste and fraud, disincentives to control spending, cost-shifting, and high administrative burdens. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [ACA] will not rectify any of these critical issues.

ACA assumes that the federal government has a better ability to decide healthcare priorities and limits than families; that it can ration services fairly, efficiently, and without political considerations; and that it can improve the medical system while reducing costs. The reality is that ACA authorized 140 new boards and agencies that have already written tens of thousands of pages of new federal regulations, while the estimated net gain for insured persons has been lowered, and estimated budget costs have skyrocketed.

ACA also assumes that liberty of conscience and professional autonomy are inconsequential to most physicians or patients -- that doctors will continue to practice despite conscientious objections to ACA patient care mandates, an ever-increasing burden of regulations, a lack of tort reform, and cuts to reimbursement. In fact, the US faces a looming shortage of physicians, with many planning to leave practice in the coming years as ACA is fully implemented.

Dr. Leah Willson, member (and former Board Member) of the American College of Pediatricians, says, "ACA will not significantly improve the health and well-being of children, because the law is built on false assumptions. It's a basic error to assume that medical care is the primary factor determining the health of a population. The foundations of health are found within the family unit and financial access to care comprises only one of many items that contribute to the overall health and well-being of children. For example, medical care can never replace the physical and mental health benefits of an intact loving family, sexual exclusivity within marriage, economic opportunity, and ethical life choices."

The American College of Pediatricians is a national medical association of licensed physicians and healthcare professionals who specialize in the care of infants, children, and adolescents. The mission of the College is to enable all children to reach their optimal physical and emotional health and well-being. For more information about the College, please visit our website www.Best4Children.org.