American Medical Association
Recent News About American Medical Association
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted several new policies aimed at protecting patients and addressing health equity. These include measures to make prescriptions more affordable for Medicare Advantage patients, support for medical-legal partnerships, opposition to restrictive in-vitro fertilization (IVF) legislation, and guidelines on the ethical use of de-identified patient data.
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The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) has adopted a policy supporting the decriminalization of non-prescribed buprenorphine possession for personal use by individuals without access to a physician for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. A 2023 study found that buprenorphine treatment after a nonfatal opioid-involved overdose was associated with a 62% reduction in the risk of opioid-involved overdose death. Despite evidence supporting its effectiveness, access to buprenorphine remains limited due to stigma, regulatory and legal barriers, and health...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted several new public health policies aimed at improving the health of various populations across the United States. These policies, decided on the final day of voting at the AMA Annual Meeting, address healthcare in minority rural communities, biotin supplement awareness, tobacco product regulation, youth e-cigarette access, nicotine analogue products regulation, and cybersecurity for physician practices.
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted new policies aimed at addressing the health challenges faced by Native American communities. Ilse R. Levin, D.O., MPH & TM, a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating: “These policies emphasize the unique health challenges facing Native Tribes and how the government can respond. The AMA has long supported efforts to bring American Indian and Alaska Native health up to the general population level. To reach that goal, tribes must have access to nutrition programs, treatment...
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Dr. Welsh, an Indiana surgeon, has been elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees. “My professional mission is to help physicians care for their patients by creating the tools needed to bring stakeholders together and improve physicians’ practice environment,” said Dr. Welsh. “Strong, motivated leadership from our AMA is critical to providing the best pathway to improve health care for our physicians and their patients. It is an honor to represent my peers in medicine on the AMA Board of Trustees.”
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a new policy aimed at increasing diversity in clinical trials and research to improve health outcomes. This policy urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require drug and device sponsors to develop actionable clinical trial diversity action plans that include women and Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) populations. Additionally, it supports the FDA's efforts to condition drug and device approvals on post-marketing studies evaluating efficacy and safety for these groups when they were not adequately represented in...
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Dr. Garretson, with over 20 years of experience as an emergency physician specializing in pediatric medicine, has been elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees. She began her career in a small group pediatric practice before transitioning to pediatric emergency medicine at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, a regional referral center and level 2 trauma center.
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted new policies aimed at expanding health care coverage, focusing on Medicaid and Medicare patients. The policies address gaps in coverage for hearing, vision, and dental services under Medicaid, as well as affordability of Medigap policies for Medicare beneficiaries.
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Dr. Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist from Milwaukee, addressed pressing challenges facing the physician workforce and healthcare access amid a national physician shortage. He emphasized significant accomplishments by the American Medical Association (AMA) over the past year, including reductions in prior authorization requirements by major insurers, a new CMS rule to streamline prior authorizations for government-regulated health plans, a decline in drug overdose deaths for the first time in five years, and the defeat of over 100 state-level bills that would have expanded...
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Dr. Mukkamala, who has been active in the AMA since residency, is chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, serving as a strong voice in advocating for evidence-based policies to end the nation’s overdose epidemic. He also played a central role in response to the Flint water crisis, serving as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint with a focus on funding projects to mitigate the effects of lead in children. As an otolaryngologist, he sees patients at all stages of life and all phases of health—from newborns to senior citizens. He says the most...
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In response to the recent Medicare Trustees Report, AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, expressed concern over the current state of the payment system, stating, “This report continues the drumbeat of recommendations that all point out that the payment system is failing patients and physicians. When physicians face a set of facts, we respond to improve the situation. It would be political malpractice for Congress to sit on its hands and not respond to this report.”The report highlighted that physician payments within the Medicare program are not keeping pace with...
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The President of the American Medical Association, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, has expressed his support for the Biden Administration's decision to expand health care access for DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. Dr. Ehrenfeld emphasized the importance of this move in improving the health and equity of the country.According to Dr. Ehrenfeld, "Our country will become healthier and more equitable after the Biden Administration announced today it will expand health care access for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), or Dreamers." The American Medical...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) is described as the physicians' powerful ally in patient care, representing physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. According to the AMA, they leverage their strength by removing obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease, confront public health crises, and drive the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in healthcare.AMA's Chief Executive Officer & Executive Vice President, James L. Madara, MD, is highlighted as a key figure within the...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has praised the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for introducing new rules aimed at enhancing access to care for Medicaid patients. The AMA expressed gratitude for the Administration's dedication to addressing longstanding barriers to care.One of the newly implemented rules, referred to as the 'Managed Care Rule,' focuses on ensuring timely access to care for Medicaid patients. This rule establishes maximum appointment wait-time standards, mandates annual payment analyses, enforces quality reporting for essential...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has responded to UnitedHealth Group's (UHG) confirmation of stolen data from Change Healthcare, expressing appreciation for the efforts made to contain the damage caused by the breach. AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H., emphasized the importance of UHG fulfilling its promises to assist those affected.Physicians, particularly those in small practices, have been significantly impacted by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare. Dr. Ehrenfeld highlighted the challenges faced by these practices, including suspended claim...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has welcomed the recent focus of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on the challenges facing physician practices within the Medicare payment system. According to the AMA, MedPAC's discussion highlighted the concerns regarding declining Medicare payments and the impact on beneficiary access to care.In response to MedPAC's comments, the AMA has urged Congress to continue the conversation on the need for Medicare reform. The AMA expressed agreement with MedPAC's observation that the Medicare Economic Index has been...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has unveiled concrete steps to enhance maternal health outcomes in the United States. Working in conjunction with various members of the Federation of Medicine, including relevant specialty societies, state medical associations, and physicians from rural areas, the AMA has put forth a series of recommendations to address the pressing issue.AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, expressed gratitude for the Administration's attention to the maternal health crisis, acknowledging its complexity and the need for significant systemic...
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The evolution and significance of value-based care in the healthcare system were underscored by Clif Gaus, President, and CEO of the National Association of ACOs, who stated, “In the last decade, value-based care has grown from almost nothing to undeniably significant aspect of our health system. Today, for example, accountable care organizations are 20 percent of Medicare alone.”Mike Tuffin, President, and CEO at AHIP emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing value-based care, stating, “Overcoming recent challenges to the expansion of value-based care...
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Physicians are facing significant financial challenges following a cyberattack that has disrupted their practices. According to a survey conducted, 80% of respondents reported lost revenue from unpaid claims, 85% had to allocate additional staff time and resources for revenue cycle tasks, and 51% experienced revenue loss due to the inability to charge patient co-pays. AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH expressed concerns, stating, “The disruption caused by this cyber-attack is causing tremendous financial strain... practices will close because of this incident, and...
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The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed its appreciation for the recent actions taken by the Biden administration to improve access to healthcare coverage. In a statement, the AMA commended the administration for its efforts to protect consumers from low-quality health coverage and crack down on misleading insurance practices.One key aspect of the administration's actions is the implementation of a new rule aimed at ensuring that health insurance companies clearly communicate the benefits and limitations of their policies. According to the AMA, this rule will...