- HHS releases highly anticipated MAHA Strategy Report
- HHS to increase resources dedicated to information blocking enforcement
- CMS must retain a large portfolio of quality measures
- Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act reintroduced in House and Senate
- SPARC Act would address physician shortages in rural communities
- More articles in this issue
HHS releases highly anticipated MAHA Strategy Report
On Sept. 8, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, released its long-awaited MAHA Strategy Report (PDF). The report provides a number of action items on which the administration plans to engage with the aim of improving the health of America’s children. The report focuses significantly on actions to improve nutrition and address concerns around chemical exposures and environmental hazards.
In alignment with AMA policy, the report includes items regarding increased oversight and enforcement of direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising. The White House announced additional actions on DTC advertising immediately following the release of the report on Sept. 9. It also highlights plans to prioritize research into appropriate integration of augmented intelligence in identification and treatment of disease and efforts at the Food and Drug Administration to reduce regulatory barriers impacting medical product approvals.
The report also notes that it will undertake efforts to increase prescription drug prior authorization within the Medicaid program as well as review prescribing patterns for pediatric use of drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, stimulants, antipsychotics, and others used to address mental and behavioral health concerns in children. Additionally, the report addresses changes to childhood vaccine frameworks, with an emphasis on investigation of vaccine injuries and preserving patient and provider choice, while ensuring that the United States has “the best childhood vaccine schedule” and modernizing vaccines with “transparent, gold-standard science.”
The AMA will be closely monitoring the administration’s actions to implement items included in the strategy report and will continue advocating in support of efforts to improve the health status of Americans and reduce the rates of chronic disease. This will continue to include strong advocacy supporting vaccine access for children and adults, supporting the United States biomedical research enterprise and public health infrastructure and opposing the spread of medical misinformation and disinformation.
HHS to increase resources dedicated to information blocking enforcement
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will take a more active enforcement stance against health care entities that are restricting the flow of information to patients and other entities and interfering with the access, exchange or use of electronic health information (EHI).
To be clear, HHS did not announce new policy on information blocking but rather declared a renewed interest in enforcing the existing information blocking rules. Currently, information blocking claims can be submitted online through the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC) Report Information Blocking Portal. Through Aug. 31, 2025, there have been over 1,300 possible claims of information blocking reported through the portal.
The AMA encourages physicians to take advantage of ASTP/ONC’s educational resources related to information blocking, as well as additional information from the AMA, including a summary of the June 2024 Final Rule (PDF) that implemented disincentives for providers participating in specific Medicare programs.
Further information blocking resources (PDF) are included in the AMA Patient Access Playbook. Physicians can also find a two-part explanation of the basics of information blocking (PDF) to help them understand what information blocking is, when information can be withheld, and how they can comply with information blocking regulations (PDF).
In instances where physicians believe an electronic health record (EHR) developer, or a health information exchange (HIE)/health information network (HIN) is blocking information unnecessarily or using legal or financial roadblocks to prevent access to patients’ medical records, those actors may be information blockers and subject to civil money penalties. Such instances should be reported through the ASTP/ONC portal.
CMS must retain a large portfolio of quality measures
The AMA coordinated a sign-on letter (PDF) with physician specialty societies to express its concerns and continued frustration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) process for reviewing and selecting quality measures for its programs. There is a false belief among the administration, CMS and its contractors that decreasing the number of measures and MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) will minimize burden.
However, it is not the number of measures or MVPs that cause physician burden, but rather the morass of reporting requirements and poorly designed programs. CMS physician quality programs should be designed to allow physicians to track and measure individual health conditions, episodes of care, or major procedures that can be directly linked to and drive quality improvement activities. Therefore, CMS must maintain a robust portfolio of quality measures that enable quality improvement in addition to promoting accountability.
Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act reintroduced in House and Senate
Bipartisan members of the House and Senate introduced important legislation on Sept. 10 that enables foreign-born International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to help alleviate the ongoing physician shortage crisis in the United States. More specifically, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Don Bacon (R-NE), reintroduced H.R. 5283/S. 2759, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HWRA), legislation that would permit the "recapture" of 15,000 unused immigrant visas for physicians that Congress previously authorized. The legislation also permits the recapture of 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses.
Originally introduced at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with strong AMA support, the HWRA allows for unused immigrant visas, commonly referred to as green cards, provided between 1992 and 2024 to be gradually reissued over a period of 3 years, following the date of enactment. The unused immigrant visas are also eligible for family members of the physicians and nurses. In addition, HWRA requires employers to attest that immigrants from overseas who receive the unused green cards will not displace an American worker. Finally, eligible immigrant physicians and nurses are still required to meet licensing requirements, pay filing fees, and clear rigorous national security and criminal history background checks before receiving the previously unused green cards. With the United States facing a projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, the HWRA will undoubtedly help fill the nation’s unceasing demand for qualified doctors.
The Joint House and Senate press release announcing the introduction of this bill included a quote from AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD:
“Ensuring that all patients, especially those in rural and underserved areas, have access to physicians and high-quality care is a core advocacy priority of the American Medical Association. In keeping with that mission, the AMA strongly supports the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act and applauds the leadership of Sens. Durbin and Cramer, along with Reps. Schneider and Bacon. Recapturing 15,000 unused employment-based physician immigrant visas over a three-year period is a common-sense, bipartisan solution to alleviating the physician shortage. Importantly, the bill includes provisions that would exempt unused visas from per-country caps, allow eligible family members to accompany physicians, and ensure that visa recipients do not displace U.S. physicians. As the son of two International Medical Graduates who came to Flint, Mich., I know this legislation would strengthen our healthcare workforce and expand access to care for communities most in need.”
In addition to the AMA, other prominent health care stakeholders supporting HWRA include the American Hospital Association, American Health Care Association, American College of Physicians, and the American Academy of Neurology. AMA looks forward to working with leaders in the House and Senate in hopes of expeditiously passing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation.
SPARC Act would address physician shortages in rural communities
On Sept. 3, the AMA sent a letter (PDF) of support for H.R. 4681, the "Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act." The SPARC Act would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of these vital physicians. The SPARC Act, a companion bill to S. 1380 (of the same name), was introduced on July 23, 2025, by Representatives John Joyce (R-PA) and Deborah Ross (D-NC). The AMA supported the Senate bill earlier this year.
Supporting this legislation is an important step for the AMA to try and help and address the expected physician shortage of about 86,000 physicians by 2036, with a potential shortage of 44,900 nonprimary care specialty physicians.
The AMA looks forward to working with the sponsors to see this legislation across the finish line this Congress.
