The 2010s
2010
In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Flexner Report, the AMA sponsors a year of medical education activities. The AMA and Association of American Medical College co-sponsor an invitational conference, "New Horizons in Medical Education: A Second Century of Achievement," that brings together current and future leaders in medical and health professions. The conference draws 300 attendees, and the dialogue continues after the conference ended on an online forum. Various articles are published on the topic of medical education, and a report on the education programs of all US and Canadian medical schools is published mirroring the original format of the Flexner Report.
Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March achieves a number of AMA's goals of acquiring coverage of 32 million uninsured Americans. The historic passage of health system reform legislation marks a triumphant culmination of several years of committed work by AMA physicians and staff. The AMA secures several meaningful changes in the health system reform (HSR) legislation and regulations that would have otherwise adversely affected physicians.
The Minority Affairs Consortium becomes the AMA's newest section this year and creates stronger partnerships with national ethnic medical associations such as the National Medical Association. Such programs as the Doctors Back to School and Minority Scholars programs grow throughout the year.
The AMA makes strides to address the nation's obesity epidemic working with various Federation and national organizations. The AMA participates in the President's Task Force on Childhood Obesity and gives support to the First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. AMA-supported legislation, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is passed by Congress.
The AMA class action lawsuit against United Health settles. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York approves the $350 million judgment in American Medical Association vs. United Health Care, and approximately 650,000 claims (including claims of physicians and patients) were submitted to the settlement claims administrator. This lawsuit, pending since 2000, challenged the validity of the United Health Group owned Ingenix database to determine the reimbursement rates for out-of-network care. Today's settlement will ensure United Health Group is held accountable for reimbursing the patients and physicians it shortchanged through the use of this flawed database.
As a result of the Council on Medical Service efforts, significant new AMA policy is established on such key issues as the patient-physician relationship, shared decision-making, payment for electronic communications, and health insurance preauthorization.
Venturing further into online resources, the AMA Medical Student Section launches a new Medical Student Online Community to facilitate member involvement. The community offers a discussion board, a blog, information on upcoming events, and links to resources and news.
The AMA enhances its communications with the launch of AMA Advantage and AMA Wire, a source for physician news and communications.
The AMA sends letters to Congress and speaks with the Pentagon urging the repeal of the U.S. Military's policy known as "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Subsequently, a Bill passes that repealed this controversial policy. This successful effort stems from the passage of new policy by the AMA-RFS Assembly and HOD in November of 2009. Also, based on this policy, the AMA calls for the repeal of this policy in its testimony to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in February, 2010.
2011
The AMA, which has policy opposing gene patents, files an amicus brief in a case against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). Since the sequencing of the human genome in 2000, the U.S. PTO has granted thousands of patents on human genes, prompting concerns that genetic research and testing to benefit patients will be delayed or stopped. In 2009, a lawsuit was filed against the U.S. PTO, as well as Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on two breast cancer genes. The lawsuit charges that the patents stifle diagnostic testing and research that could lead to cures and that they limit women's options regarding their medical care.
Howard C. Bauchner, M.D., from Boston University School of Medicine, becomes the 16th JAMA editor in the journal's 127-year history.
The AMA introduces its first-ever smart phone application designed specifically for physicians that allows them to quickly find CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) billing codes. Additionally, the AMA invites medical students, residents and physicians to submit new medical smart phone application ideas that could improve the daily lives of their colleagues as part of their first-ever AMA Mobil App Challenge.
The AMA names James L. Madara, M.D., as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer.
In a vote at its Annual meeting, the AMA adopts a new policy to encourage advertising associations to work with public- and private-sector organizations to establish guidelines that would discourage airbrushing or retouching in advertising, especially those appearing in teen-oriented publications.
The AMA's obesity prevention campaign, Weigh What Matters (WWM), is launched in September 2011, with a Webinar for participating physicians. The program consists of an extensive series of resources available to physicians help address obesity issues with patients.
The AMA calls on lawmakers to pass H.R. 5, the HEALTH Act, and unveils a new print ad emphasizing that every American pays a price for the nation's broken medical liability system.
The AMA files an amicus brief urging the Florida Supreme Court to uphold the state's limit on subjective awards for noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages are largely random sums awarded by juries for unquantifiable emotional issues such as pain and suffering.
Nineteen new medical schools join the AMA's Innovative Strategies for Transforming the Education of Physicians (ISTEP). Bringing the total to 31 schools and 6,000 students now participating in the unique medical education research collaborative that brings together individuals and institutions from across the continuum of physician learning.
The Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) and Medical Student Section (MSS) organize the ninth annual Research Symposium. This has become the largest event of its kind in the nation.
The International Medical Graduates Section (IMGS) holds its Third Annual Symposium in Chicago. The IMGS continues to the largest advocacy and policy making group for its constituents who represent over 25% of the US physician workforce while providing tangible resources for international medical graduates who are awaiting residency program acceptance.
