American Medical Association
Recent News About American Medical Association
-
AMA urges vaccination amid upcoming respiratory virus season
The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging the public to get vaccinated as the respiratory virus season approaches.
-
AMA files lawsuit against MultiPlan over alleged price-fixing scheme
A lawsuit has been filed in the Northern District of Illinois against MultiPlan, accusing the company of engaging in an unlawful price-fixing scheme that has impacted physicians since 2015. The lawsuit claims that this practice has forced doctors to accept lower payments for out-of-network services, often insufficient to cover operating costs. As a result, many medical practices have had to close or alter their services, reducing patient options.
-
AMA teams up with MedCerts to improve blood pressure measurement skills
The American Medical Association (AMA) and MedCerts have joined forces to enhance the blood pressure measurement skills of healthcare professionals, including medical assistants. This collaboration aims to provide standardized educational content that will train these professionals in accurate and consistent blood pressure measurement techniques.
-
House majority urges action on looming Medicare cuts
Medicare reform is gaining significant bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, with 233 members urging action on a pending Medicare payment cut. This majority is calling on the Speaker to address Medicare reform during the upcoming lame-duck session.
-
AMA recognizes health organizations addressing physician burnout with Joy in Medicine award
The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced the 2024 recipients of its Joy in Medicine recognition, highlighting health organizations that have taken significant steps to address physician burnout. Despite a decline in burnout rates following the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue persists among physicians compared to other U.S. workers.
-
Ad Council partners with CDC & AMA for nationwide flu vaccination campaign
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Ad Council have joined forces to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the flu. The call comes after preliminary estimates showed that during the 2023-2024 flu season, at least 41 million people contracted the flu, resulting in 490,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 deaths. Despite these numbers, less than half of the U.S. population received a flu vaccine.
-
Target: BP aids millions with hypertension; new award criteria set for 2025
Hypertension, a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke, affects nearly half of U.S. adults, according to the 2024 American Heart Association Statistical Update. This condition incurs over $52 billion annually in healthcare costs. In response to this widespread issue, the Target: BP™ initiative was launched in 2015 by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association.
-
Physician groups urge Supreme Court to uphold ATF rule on ghost guns
The American Medical Association (AMA) has filed a brief with the Supreme Court in the case of Garland v. VanDerStok, urging the court to uphold an ATF rule concerning unregistered firearm kits. The rule states that these kits, which can be easily converted into functional firearms, fall under the Gun Control Act.
-
AMA supports NIH findings on flexible buprenorphine dosing
The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed support for recent findings from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding buprenorphine dosing. According to the AMA, the study indicates that higher doses of buprenorphine may enhance treatment outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
-
AMA receives CDC funding to strengthen U.S. public health
The American Medical Association (AMA) has been awarded funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enhance the U.S. public health infrastructure. This funding is part of the CDC’s National Partners Cooperative Agreement, which aims to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities across the nation.
-
Biden administration addresses concerns over information blocking rules
The Biden administration is set to clarify information blocking rules, addressing concerns raised by the American Medical Association (AMA). In a letter, the AMA expressed support for clear exceptions that allow patients to request physicians deliver life-changing information rather than making it immediately available on electronic health records. The proposal also permits physicians to protect patients from efforts to criminalize reproductive health care without facing penalties.
-
AMA awards research grants for advancing studies on women in medicine
The Joan F. Giambalvo Fund for the Advancement of Women Award is administered by the AMA Foundation on behalf of the AMA-WPS. The AMA-WPS and AMA Foundation award scholarships of up to $10,000 to healthcare researchers to identify and address issues that affect women physicians and medical students. Since 2006, the organizations have granted 35 research awards on topics such as flexible work options, gender differences in the practice patterns of obstetricians/gynecologists, and the promotion and retention of diversity in medical education. Additional information about the...
-
AMA releases updated CPT code set with significant changes
The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the CPT 2025 code set, featuring 420 updates, including 270 new codes, 112 deletions, and 38 revisions. The latest version aims to reflect advancements in contemporary clinical practice and ensure that the code set remains a trusted universal language of medicine.
-
AMA supports new mental health parity rule by Biden-Harris Administration
The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed support for the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to reinforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The AMA highlighted the importance of this initiative in safeguarding patients from discriminatory practices by health insurance companies that limit access to mental health and substance use disorder care.
-
AMA calls for increased oversight amid high consolidation in pharmacy benefit manager markets
"The call for increased regulatory oversight of PBM business practices is overwhelmingly welcomed by physicians as a check against possible anticompetitive harm resulting from low competition and high vertical integration in the PBM industry," said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D. "The findings from the new AMA analysis warrant attention as Congress and the administration continue their work to protect patients and ensure prescription drugs remain affordable and accessible. The AMA urges careful monitoring, and intervention when needed, of both horizontal and vertical...
-
AMA urges CMS transparency on proposed Medicare payment reductions
The American Medical Association (AMA) has called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to be transparent about the impact of proposed Medicare payment cuts. In July, CMS proposed a 2.8% reduction in payments while estimating that the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), which measures practice cost inflation, would increase by 3.6%. The AMA expressed concerns in a comment letter, urging the administration to collaborate with Congress for a permanent, annual inflation-based update to Medicare physician payments.
-
Report highlights disparities due to OB/GYN facility closures in Chicago
The report, titled “From Facilities to Outcomes: A Neighborhood-Level Examination of Maternal and Infant Care Access in Chicago,” highlights the potential impacts of maternity care deserts and measures maternal health care access at a zip code level within the City of Chicago based on three categories: low access, medium access, and full access.
-
AMA urges Congress to address Medicare physician payment issues
The letter focuses on four key pillars:
-
AMA announces provisional CPT update for avian influenza vaccines
The provisional CPT code is effective for use on the condition that H5N8 Influenza virus vaccine candidates receive emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The AMA is publishing the CPT code update now to ensure electronic systems across the U.S. health care system are prepared in advance for potential FDA authorization.
-
Congress urged to act on medicare payment reform amid projected cuts
With CMS estimating a fifth consecutive year of Medicare payment reductions—this time by 2.8 percent—it is evident that Congress must address this issue. In addition to the cut, CMS predicts that the Medicare Economic Index (MEI)—the measure of practice cost inflation—will increase by 3.6 percent. Facing this widening gap between what Medicare pays physicians and the cost of delivering quality care to patients, physicians are urging Congress to pass a reform package that would permanently strengthen Medicare.