Bookmark and check this blog for continuing updates from the AMA House of Delegates’ meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The 2026 AMA Annual Meeting is held each June in Chicago and runs through Wednesday.
Friday
House of Delegates’ meeting starts today
Nearly 800 physicians and medical students are gathering in Chicago for the 2026 AMA Annual Meeting to consider proposals across a wide range of clinical practice, payment, medical education and public health topics. The meeting runs through June 10.
The AMA House of Delegates will work in a democratic process to create a national physician consensus on emerging issues in public health, science, ethics, business and government to improve the care and public health of patients and communities. The policies adopted at this meeting will give the AMA direction and act as a driving force on the future of American medicine.
In doing so, the delegates will strengthen the AMA in its relentless advocacy role in fighting for physicians.
The newly updated “AMA Advocacy Impact Report” details how the AMA is:
- Reforming Medicare payment.
- Protecting access to care.
- Fixing prior authorization.
- Promoting physician-led care.
- Improving physician well-being.
- Shaping the future of digital health and AI.
- Standing up for science.
- Shaping medicine's future through thought leadership.
Apropos of that last point on thought leadership, ahead of their speeches at tonight’s opening session, the AMA’s physician leaders have been advocating on behalf of patients and physicians with newly published Leadership Viewpoints columns.
AMA CEO and Executive Vice President John Whyte, MD, MPH, raised the alarm Wednesday on the use of chatbots for mental health.
“Across the country, more teens and young adults are turning to AI chatbots for something that looks and feels like mental health support,” Dr. Whyte wrote in his column. “Congress has a responsibility to act. Not to stifle innovation, but to ensure it aligns with the same principles we expect in every corner of healthcare: safety, transparency, accountability and trust.”
The AMA’s leadership on this issue reflects the work of the recently launched AMA Center for Digital Health and AI, which is giving physicians a powerful voice in shaping how AI and other digital tools are harnessed to improve the patient and clinician experience.
Meanwhile, AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, detailed the disappointing findings of the AMA’s latest survey on prior authorization, which shows that promised reforms remain elusive.
“When the nation’s largest health insurers said they were finally going to overhaul prior authorization last summer, physicians took notice,” says Dr. Mukkamala’s column, published Thursday. “The ideas sounded great: make everything easier, reduce red tape, inject some real transparency, and actually put patient safety first—all before Jan. 1, 2027.
“But the 2025 AMA prior authorization physician survey makes it clear that, so far, these promises remain just talk. It is nothing short of infuriating to see excessive prior authorization continue to hurt so many people.” Dr. Mukkamala outlines what real reform looks like. To dive deeper, visit AMA Advocacy in Action to find out what’s at stake in fixing prior authorization and other advocacy priorities the AMA is actively working on.
Education sessions today
Among the educational offerings available to delegates at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, are these sessions (all times CDT, with locations in parentheses):
- 9:15–10:30 a.m. “Prescribing Change: Pharmacy Strategy in Value-Based Care.” (Grand Hall L)
- Noon–1 p.m. “On Call and on a Budget: Plant-Forward Eating Strategies for Medical Trainees.” (Regency Ballroom A–C)
- 12:30–1:30 p.m. “Technology in Practice: Real-World Implementation Across Health Systems and Hospitals.” (Grand Hall L)
- 3–4:30 p.m. AMA Career Resources Event. (Riverside East Exhibit Hall)
Learn more about these education sessions and how to claim CME credit.
Quick links for the meeting
These essentials will help you get the most out of the meeting.
- Access the reports and resolutions delegates will consider, as well as reference committee reports and final actions as they become available.
- Search the AMA Pictorial Directory to find your peers and stay connected before, during and after Annual and Annual Meetings (AMA members only).
- Find instructions on downloading and accessing the meeting app.
- Learn about the education sessions offered and how to claim CME.
Follow the meeting on social media
Highlights of the meeting’s key moments and House of Delegates policy actions will be posted daily at the AMA website, the 2026 AMA Annual Meeting website, and the AMA’s Facebook page, Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn and X account using #AMAmtg.
Addresses from leadership and more will be featured on the AMA videos page.
