Top stories of Advocacy Update: July 2026

Get essential advocacy news and information on key national and state issues impacting physicians, patients and the healthcare environment. View past issues of Advocacy Update. 

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Week of July 24

1. House Energy and Commerce Committee adopts prior authorization reform legislation

   1. July 24, 2026

   2. “This legislation would bring greater transparency and accountability to the prior authorization process while reducing burdens that pull physicians away from caring for patients,” says a statement from AMA President Willie Underwood, MD, MSc, MPH. “The next step is the House floor. The bipartisan votes are there. The need is undeniable. The AMA will work with lawmakers in both chambers and both parties until patients are no longer denied medically necessary care by red tape and bureaucratic indifference.”

2. CMS proposed rule would impose new restrictions on payment mechanisms used by state Medicaid programs

   1. July 24, 2026
   2. The proposed rule exceeds statutory requirements in several areas and could hinder states’ ability to maintain adequate reimbursement rates for Medicaid services. The AMA is urging CMS to revise the proposed rule to avoid imposing limitations beyond those required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

View the July 24 issue

• July 24, 2026: National Advocacy Update
• July 24, 2026: State Advocacy Update

Week of July 17

1. AMA statement on bipartisan Medicare reform effort 

   1. July 17, 2026

   2. "The AMA commends the bipartisan leadership of the GOP and Democratic Doctors Caucuses for proposing solutions to stabilize physician payment and protect access to care,” says a statement from AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH. “We look forward to reviewing the legislation and working with Congress to deliver the long-term Medicare payment reforms that patients and physicians urgently need.”

2. With bipartisan support, panel eyes end of abusive prior authorization 

   1. July 17, 2026
   2. “The House Ways and Means Committee’s overwhelming bipartisan approval [this week] of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2026 sends a clear message that more must be done to rein in health plans’ harmful prior authorization delays,” says a statement from AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH. “[This] unanimous vote reflects growing recognition that prior authorization, when misused, too often stands between patients and their physicians.”

View the July 17 issue

• July 17, 2026: National Advocacy Update

Week of July 10

1. Prior authorization reform gets promising start from House health panel

   1. July 10, 2026

   2. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health recently advanced the AMA-supported Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act. “This bipartisan legislation would eliminate unnecessary administrative red tape in Medicare Advantage to ensure that critical, life-saving care is no longer delayed by an overused prior authorization process,” said AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH. 

2. New AMA research: Trends in U.S. healthcare spending

   1. July 10, 2026
   2. New research from the AMA highlights some key trends in U.S. healthcare spending, which reached $5.3 trillion in 2024. The research also addresses the impact of legislation important to physicians including the Affordable Care Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

3. AMA modernizes maternity care coding to better reflect today’s obstetric care

   1. July 10, 2026
   2. "Physicians cannot improve what they cannot measure. These CPT revisions give physicians, researchers, and policymakers a clearer understanding of the care mothers receive throughout pregnancy and after delivery, helping identify opportunities to improve quality, strengthen accountability, and improve outcomes for mothers and babies," said AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH.

View the July 10 issue

• July 10, 2026: National Advocacy Update
• July 10, 2026: State Advocacy Update

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