EVENT

The National Advocacy Conference gave attendees the opportunity to:
- Connect with industry experts, political insiders and members of Congress about current federal efforts to improve health care
- Advocate on crucial health care issues affecting attendees and their patients
Attendee survey
The National Advocacy Conference for 2021 has concluded, but we value attendees' feedback. Take a survey and let us know your thoughts. Responses will help AMA plan for next year’s meeting
AMA code of conduct and anti-harassment policy
Review the AMA Code of Conduct for ensuring professional and ethical behavior at AMA events and functions, and the association's zero tolerance for any type of harassing conduct.
Agenda
Download the full agenda (PDF) for details on session times and topics.
NAC Action Kit
Access background material on the issues that NAC attendees will be addressing with their senators and representatives this year. Although the AMA’s advocacy agenda is broad, the following issues have been selected for this year’s meeting because they are well-timed for action by the newly convened Congress.
- Extending the current moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester (PDF) beyond March 31 through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to support physician practices
- Making Medicare coverage expansion for telemedicine permanent (PDF) will allow physicians and patients to continue taking full advantage of this growing technology
- Establishing programs and policies addressing maternal health (PDF), particularly for women of color, is needed to promote health equity and improve the nation’s dismal maternal mortality rate
- With so much of the nation enacting medical marijuana laws (PDF), it is past time to improve the process for conducting scientific and clinical research on cannabidiol and marijuana.
These documents can be used to become familiar with the issues, and they can also be downloaded and forwarded to congressional contacts following the meetings.
There are also two additional documents that may be helpful:
- A Federation sign-on letter on the Medicare sequester issue that demonstrates broad support across medicine.
- A paper entitled 2021 and beyond: AMA’s plan to cover the uninsured (PDF), which reflects AMA's latest policy on the subject which may be helpful in some conversations.
Speakers

Ami Bera, MD, D-7th Calif.
Ami Bera, MD, has represented California’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013.

Margaret Brennan
Margaret Brennan is moderator of CBS News premiere Sunday public affairs program Face the Nation. In addition, she also serves as CBS News' senior foreign affairs correspondent and contributes to all broadcasts.

Larry Bucshon, MD, R-8th Ind.
Larry Bucshon, MD, has represented Indiana's 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011.

Bechara Choucair, MD
Bechara Choucair, MD, is the White House vaccinations coordinator on the White House COVID-19 Response Team. He was the chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente and served as the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health from 2009 to 2014.

Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a presidential historian, international keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author and a partner in Pastimes Productions.

David Lusk
David Lusk, founder of Key Advocacy, has over 20 years experience in policy and government affairs. He specializes in advocate training and developing grassroots and grasstops engagement programs.

Lucy McBath, D-6th Georgia
Lucy McBath represents Georgia's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Brad Schneider, D-10th Ill.
Brad Schneider represents Illinois’s 10th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is serving his third term.

Terri Sewell, D-7th Ala.
Terri Sewell, has represented Alabama’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2010.
Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
Jeanne Shaheen has served as senator for New Hampshire since 2009. Shaheen served as governor of New Hampshire from 1997 to 2003.