Top stories of Advocacy Update: March 2026

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

Week of March 27

1. Tell your representative: Co-sponsor H.R. 7961

   1. March 27, 2026

   2. The bipartisan “H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act” (H.R. 7961) aims to exempt physicians and other health care professionals from the $100,000 filing fee on new H-1B visa petitions.

2. AMA analysis reveals shifts in how physicians have been compensated over the past decade

   1. March 27, 2026
   2. The findings reveal a significant move toward blended compensation models, with the percentage of physicians compensated by two or more methods increasing from 51.0% in 2014 to 60.8% in 2024.

3. CMS launches model to improve care coordination for children and families 

   1. March 27, 2026
   2. The new CMS model—called Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness Effectiveness, or ASPIRE—will equip states with expanded tools to empower pediatricians and other care providers to better support children and their families. Listen to a conversation between AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Director Abe Sutton, JD, to learn more about the ASPIRE program.

View the March 27 issue

• March 27, 2026: National Advocacy Update
• March 27, 2026: State Advocacy Update

Week of March 20

1. AMA Board Chair testifies before Congress on health care affordability and patient access

   1. March 20, 2026

   2. Representing physicians nationwide in his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, AMA Board Chair David H. Aizuss, MD, made it clear: when physician practices face financial challenges, patients end up in higher-cost care, wait longer for appointments, and struggle with access—especially in areas with fewer health care options.

2. Bipartisan legislation introduced to exempt physicians from $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee

   1. March 20, 2026
   2. The bill aligns with the AMA’s efforts to build and maintain a strong health care workforce to serve the needs of all patients. “Patients across the country are feeling the effects of the growing physician shortage,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, in a statement supporting the bill. “Medicare patients and people in rural and underserved areas already struggle to get the care they need. In many such communities, international medical graduates play a vital role in providing care and ensuring patients can see a doctor when they need one.” Dr. Mukkamala was also quoted in a New York Times article on the bill’s introduction.

View the March 20 issue

• March 20, 2026: National Advocacy Update

Week of March 13

1. New AMA comments, issue brief focus on Medicaid community engagement (work) requirements

   1. March 13, 2026

   2. The AMA recommended actions to CMS to ensure that states build processes enabling patients to successfully navigate the new Medicaid requirements without unwarranted coverage disruptions for eligible enrollees.

2. In comments on marketplace plan changes, the AMA reiterates the importance of maintaining access to coverage that is both affordable and comprehensive

   1. March 13, 2026
   2. Without guardrails, several of the proposed policies intended to boost affordability could threaten access to meaningful coverage, restrict patient access to care, destabilize risk pools and markets, and boost payer profits rather than lower patient out-of-pocket costs.

View the March 13 issue

• March 13, 2026: National Advocacy Update

Week of March 6

1. How physician leadership guides licensing and credentialing application reform

   1. March 6, 2026

   2. Removing the stigma of mental health conditions is an essential part of improving physicians’ health and wellbeing, and removing stigmatizing questions on licensing and credentialing applications is a practical way to accomplish just that, said three physicians on a recent AMA Advocacy Insights webinar.

2. Senate HELP Committee bills would promote health care cybersecurity, protect living donor organ donors

   1. March 6, 2026
   2. The “Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act” would promote improved coordination across federal agencies to ensure heightened cybersecurity in the health care and public health sectors. The “Living Donor Protection Act” would provide numerous significant protections to living donor organ donors while simultaneously promoting organ donation.

View the March 6 issue

• March 6, 2026: National Advocacy Update
• March 6, 2026: State Advocacy Update

Explore more from Advocacy Update

View past issues of Advocacy Update and subscribe to keep up with the latest news.