ASA-PAC Donation: What is appropriate?

[MaximusD]

As a new ASA member, I have no idea what an "appropriate" monthly or yearly amount to donate? I think if there is a concrete number for interested parties, theywill be less likely to shrug it off...

(1) For med students?

(2) For residents?

(3) For attendings?

Any takers? An appropriate "goal" percentage of monthly salary?

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[BuzzPhreed]

ASA-PAC Donation: What is appropriate?

All of it, b*tch.

 

[MaximusD]

ASA-PAC Donation: What is appropriate?

All of it, b*tch.

LOL, helpful!

 

[Stank811]

Whatever they are comfortable donating….as long as people contribute to the future of their practice. Also contribute to your state PAC bc much of the legislative battles are at the state level. The ASA makes it easy bc you can give monthly via your credit card…do 20 dollars a month on your CC and you won't even notice.

 

[BuzzPhreed]

Serious short answer? Depends on where you want your name to be on the donor list. Pay to play, so to speak.

Overall, look at who's number 3... and who's number 6:

https://www.asahq.org/For-Members/A...t-Physician-PAC-for-Second-Year-in-a-Row.aspx

 

[BuzzPhreed]

Circle of Distinction donor level is $500 - $999.
Chairman's Council donor level is $1000 and above.
Maximum contribution is $5000 per calendar year.
Guideline Amounts are Merely Suggestions.

https://www2.asahq.org/pac/web/index.asp


[edit by pgg to remove PII, which seems to have broken the link]

 

[Stank811]

Serious short answer? Depends on where you want your name to be on the donor list. Pay to play, so to speak.

Overall, look at who's number 3... and who's number 6:

https://www.asahq.org/For-Members/A...t-Physician-PAC-for-Second-Year-in-a-Row.aspx

More importantly look who is number 2 b/c a lot of the legislation supporting independent midlevel practice is supported by AHA. Also remember who who is the main driver behind healthcare reform….big business. Johnson and Johnson, Walmarts, etc are sick of paying higher and higher cost for healthcare coverage so you better believe they are just fine with independent midlevel providers bc they are under the impression that it will drive down cost without effecting quality to a degree that will cause society to push back.

 

[BuzzPhreed]

More importantly look who is number 2 b/c a lot of the legislation supporting independent midlevel practice is supported by AHA. Also remember who who is the main driver behind healthcare reform….big business. Johnson and Johnson, Walmarts, etc are sick of paying higher and higher cost for healthcare coverage so you better believe they are just fine with independent midlevel providers bc they are under the impression that it will drive down cost without effecting quality to a degree that will cause society to push back.

You are correct.

 

[pgg]

My personal opinion is that every attending ought to be contributing Chairman's Council level ($1000/y) or more, every year.

They do list $20 (one-time) as a "resident" contribution on the donation page. I would encourage residents and med students (who are interested enough in the specialty to become ASA members) to do $5 or $10 every month by automatic credit card donation, though I certainly wouldn't think less of those who don't. Not a lot of disposable income in those years.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Don't forget your state PACs. I donate to the national and state PACs.

 

[courtnes]

In terms of what your ASA donations are funding, consider Dr. Valerie Arkoosh - I heard ads on Philadelphia area radio specifically stating that she was being funded by the ASA:

http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-18/news/49239352_1_career-politicians-margolies-36th-ward (Quote: A political-action committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists reported spending $210,390 last week to air radio ads for Arkoosh.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/valerie-arkoosh-congress-_n_4848731.html (Quote: On her support for gun control, Arkoosh cited patients caught in the crossfire of gun violence, simply "people in the wrong place at the wrong time." Also cites the lobby, National Physicians Alliance, she was part of to create ACA, which seems to point to being more of a career politician rather than clinician.)

http://www.philly4change.com/node/123 (particularly item #8 - Quote: "My position on gun violence is echoed by the National Physicians Alliance, a national non-profit I led throughout the healthcare fight – which is that gun violence is a public health crisis that should be addressed with a comprehensive, preventative approach.
We know that prevention works, and a majority of the country agrees that expanding background checks to every single gun sale and banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are the right steps to take to reduce gun violence. I support these steps and will bring all my expertise and experiences to bear to get this done.")

Not that my single med student opinion counts for much, I feel that ASA-PAC is supporting this anesthesiologist despite the fact that she is using her soapbox for many other issues outside of the interests of her fellow anesthesiologists - including gun rights that I would guess from threads in this forum that many of you support. I would like to become a regular donor, but this concerns me.

 

[Stank811]

courtnes….there will be no perfect candidate that supports everything we want across the political spectrum. If you were to look at who the ASA has supported in the past and then looked at their voting history or political positions I can promise you everyone on this forum could find something they do not agree with and the ASAPAC would be struggling. Donating to the ASA-PAC is supporting the profession of anesthesiology. Has nothing to do with gun rights or any other dividing political positions that certain candidates support. I am assuming Dr Arkoosh would be a strong advocate for physician anesthesiologist moving forward which is why the ASA is supporting her campaign.

 

[pgg]

You'll have to look hard to find a more pro-2A person than me, I'm a near-single-issue voter on it, but on the whole ASAPAC does more work for me than against me. I'll put up with an anti-gun person in Congress to get another doctor or anesthesiologist there. On the flip side, Andy Harris (a Baltimore anesthesiologist and Congressman) is a bit far right for me but I gave him money a couple elections ago too.

With luck his rightiness and her leftiness will cancel out and we'll just have two anesthesiologists there to resist the AANA.


Every PAC is going to support candidates that have some views that conflict with its contributors. But PACs exist because they work. If you look for a reason not to donate to ASAPAC (or any PAC for that matter), you'll find one.