The AMA is fighting for physicians, and as the physician’s powerful ally the AMA is focused on addressing the issues important to doctors so they can focus on what matters most—patients.
The AMA’s advocacy efforts (PDF) are directed and deepened by the AMA House of Delegates, which works 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 heath of patients and communities.
About 700 physician and medical student delegates gathered in National Harbor, Maryland, for the 2025 AMA Interim Meeting. The meeting highlights below would not have been possible without writing and reporting by AMA Senior News Writers Georgia Garvey and Brendan Murphy and Contributing News Writers Tany Albert Henry and Timothy M. Smith, as well as the work of the AMA’s media relations team. Special thanks to Ted Grudzinski for his many great shots of the House of Delegates in action.
The House of Delegates will convene again in June for the 2026 AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago. Find out more about AMA virtual and in-person events.
Wednesday, Nov. 19
Boost health AI training across medical education continuum
The AMA has policies and guidance on trustworthy augmented intelligence (AI) in medicine. Now the AMA will redouble its efforts to ensure that medical students, residents, fellows and physicians in practice have access to the training and CME they need to harness the power of health AI tools while ensuring that those tools are designed, developed, and deployed ethically and responsibly.
Peer-reviewed studies and surveys across specialties show trainees are already using AI tools and that they believe the tools will play a future role in care, according to a resolution introduced at the Interim Meeting. Medical students and physicians in training also want formal training about health AI that includes ethics, bias mitigation, evaluation and safe workflow integration.
To address those needs, delegates adopted new policy to support “developing and disseminating model AI learning objectives and curricular toolkits aligned with existing AMA policy and AAMC [Association of American Medical Colleges] principles.”
Read further to learn how the AMA will work to get medical students and physicians the health AI training they need, and catch up on the delegates’ other actions to make tech work for doctors.
Tuesday, Nov. 18
AMA moves to bolster physicians’ workplace safety, well-being
Through its actions at the Interim Meeting, the House of Delegates has strengthened the AMA’s role as the leader in physician well-being. The AMA is already reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine®.
Now the Association will take further steps that will keep doctors safe in the workplace, help address physician burnout and support work-life balance. On physician safety, concerns regarding the potentially increasing rate of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation for doctors and other health care personnel have grown along with the rapidly rising use of diagnostic imaging and interventional radiation therapy procedures that use ionizing radiation.
“Taking steps to help more health care professionals better limit their exposure to ionizing radiation will go a long way toward reducing or avoiding potentially harmful, long-lasting health effects,” said AMA Trustee Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD.
Read further to learn about delegates' actions to protect physicians from ionizing radiation exposure in health care settings, as well as new steps to reduce burnout and support pregnant doctors.
Get rid of “red flags” that block substance-use disorder treatment
The opioid epidemic remains a significant public health emergency and buprenorphine improves treatment retention and criminal justice outcomes, cuts intravenous drug use and improves maternal-fetal health outcomes, hepatitis C treatment, social functioning and quality of life, according to a resolution introduced by the American Society of Addition Medicine.
The AMA has heard reports that patients with opioid-use disorder have struggled to have prescriptions for buprenorphine products dispensed at pharmacies. Some pharmacies are not increasing their orders for fear of triggering suspicious-order reports that would subjecting them to scrutiny.
This evidence-based, lifesaving treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not considered a first-line sublingual formulation like buprenorphine/naloxone, but nothing specific prohibits using buprenorphine mono-product instead of buprenorphine/naloxone on a case-by-case basis when it’s deemed the most suitable treatment option in the American Society of Addiction Medicine guidelines or the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration publications.
“Access to these buprenorphine products will remain a struggle across the country as long as FDA- approved products are included in suspicious-order designations,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, who also chairs the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. “It is beyond comprehension that at a time when we all have worked so hard to remove barriers to treatments that yet another barrier would rear up and put patients’ lives in jeopardy.”
So that physicians can prescribe buprenorphine mono-product when appropriate and without bumping into roadblocks, the AMA will advocate:
- At the state and federal level to remove “red flag” or “suspicious order” designations suspecting or distinguishing between buprenorphine mono-product and buprenorphine/naloxone that are approved for treatment of opioid-use disorder.
- That Medicare, Medicaid and all commercial health plans and other payers be required to cover medications to treat opioid-use disorder in all formulations without prior authorization, step therapy, fail first requirements, or other inappropriate utilization management.
The AMA believes that science, evidence and compassion must continue to guide patient care and policy change as the nation’s opioid epidemic evolves into a more dangerous and complicated illicit drug overdose epidemic. Learn more at the AMA’s End the Epidemic website.
Stabilize funding for mental health services in schools
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded more than $1 billion in mental health grants established by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022 that would have helped pay for the training, placement and diversification of mental health professionals in schools. Those in rural and underserved areas were particularly affected by the grants’ withdrawal, says a resolution introduced by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“The decision to end these grants will disproportionately impact rural and underserved districts, disrupting continuity of care, decreasing access to mental health care for our children, and destabilizing the workforce pipeline for counselors, psychologists, social workers and physicians engaged in school-based health services in the middle of a mental health crisis,” said Melissa J. Garretson, MD, a member of the AMA Board of Trustees.
The AMA supports school-based health services, trauma-informed care, pediatric mental health screening and other evidence-based policies, and delegates took action directing the AMA to:
- Support sustained, stable and equitable state and federal funding and infrastructure for the training, placement and retention of school-based mental health professionals, with priority given to rural and underserved communities.
- Advocate federal legislation incorporating automatic continuity protections such as bridge funding or carryover authority within school-based mental health programs, to prevent disruptions in student services and workforce stability when federal appropriations are delayed or rescinded.
Elevate nonresearch experiences in UME, GME applicant review
The move to holistic review in residency and fellowship selection aimed to take the focus off exam scores and instead put it on an applicant’s entire body of work. An unintended consequence of the shift—most evident for residency applicants—has been an increased emphasis on research productivity during training, particularly as it relates to peer-reviewed publications.
Research is one of eight experience types that residency applicants using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) can highlight on their application. Data indicates that the average number of publications reported by applicants for residency slots in competitive specialties continues to rise despite limited evidence that these research experiences are linked to better clinical performance in residency.
Residency program directors may desire applicants with research experience because it may demonstrate transferable skills like critical thinking and curiosity, but reference-committee testimony at the Interim Meeting highlighted the importance of demonstrating these skills in other domains as well. Starting in the 2027 residency Match cycle, the ERAS publication section would limit the ability for applicants to list publications that have not been peer reviewed, says a resolution introduced by the AMA Medical Student Section.
The issue isn’t only important for medical students or residents as they pursue a position in graduate medical education (GME). It also affects those applying to medical school for their undergraduate medical education (UME).
To address the issue, delegates directed the AMA to support efforts and work with relevant parties to:
- Improve the holistic and equitable consideration of research, advocacy, service, teaching, mentorship and other nonresearch domains in medical school and residency or fellowship selection.
- Reduce the emphasis on research expectations for applicants.
- Improve medical school, residency and fellowship application services to allow applicants to comprehensively showcase the nonresearch domains that best align with their experiences and career goals.
Ban employer indemnification in physician employment contracts
As more physicians work as employees in hospitals, health systems and corporate practice settings, the terms of their employment contracts have become more complex. Some states have banned or limited “covenants not to compete,” also called noncompete clauses or restrictive covenants, out of concerns about the nationwide shortage of physicians. The AMA also opposes restrictive noncompete clauses.
Less regulatory attention has been paid, however, to indemnification clauses in tail insurance—the stopgap insurance physicians must have once they are no longer enrolled in an employer’s claims-made malpractice policy.
The American College of Emergency Physicians has said indemnification clauses are “not appropriate in medical contracts” because they “unnecessarily complicate medical malpractice litigation and may result in additional liability.” Most physician employment contracts do not detail which party is responsible for tail insurance, resulting in physicians being forced to shoulder the burden, says a resolution introduced by the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section.
To address this issue, delegates directed the AMA to:
- Develop model state legislation to prohibit the inclusion of clauses indemnifying employers in physician contracts.
- Actively work to increase the education and awareness of physicians on the implications of accepting employment contracts which require physicians to pay for tail insurance or indemnify their employers.
4 ways the AMA is working to stop scope creep
So far this year, more than 150 bills that were designed to expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants, optometrists, pharmacists, psychologists and others have been defeated.
With a series of four substantial policy actions taken at the Interim Meeting, delegates have strengthened the AMA’s capacity to fight scope creep and defend the practice of medicine against scope of practice expansions that threaten patient safety and undermine physician-led, team-based care.
Read further to find out how delegates boosted AMA advocacy for physician-led, team-based care in ophthalmology, obstetrics, pathology and more.
Monday, Nov. 17
How the AMA fights for patients, doctors on prior authorization
Delegates took several actions that will strengthen the AMA’s efforts to fix prior authorization by challenging insurance companies to eliminate care delays, patient harms and practice hassles.
Prior authorization originally emerged as a way to restrain excess medical costs, but it’s increasingly been used on pharmaceutical and procedural medical care that have nominal costs, according to a resolution adopted at the Interim Meeting.
Under a resolution that delegates adopted, the AMA will “advocate that low-cost medications and procedures should not require prior authorization.”
Read further to explore the AMA's latest actions to reduce or eliminate this payer process that delays patients' access to care.
With half of rural hospitals in red, AMA outlines sustainable path
Rural hospitals face distinct financial challenges with payments often failing to cover the actual costs of providing services. Half of rural hospitals are operating in a deficit—a number that’s up nearly 7% in just a 12-month period and the biggest jump researchers have seen since they began monitoring the issue, according to an AMA Council on Medical Service report adopted at the Interim Meeting.
To help address this threat to the accessibility of rural health care, delegates adopted policy supporting minimum standards for alternative payment models to rural hospitals.
“Rural hospitals provide essential care for nearly one-fifth of Americans and ensuring they remain open and financially viable is critical to community health,” said AMA Board Member Ilse Levin, DO, MPH & TM. “To sustain and strengthen access to health care for rural residents, the AMA believes that alternative payment models that meet the AMA’s new minimum standards will best support the financial viability of rural hospitals struggling to stay open within traditional payment structures.”
Read further for details on the AMA's plan put rural hospitals on a more sustainable footing.
How would you use $50,000 to help your patients?
The AMA has launched a $1 million program offering $50,000 in funding for up to 20 physician-led initiatives that are focused on addressing urgent and unique health challenges confronting patient populations in their local communities.
The AMA Community Health Impact Lab Micro Grants Program will empower physicians to drive change through creative, community-centered solutions—whether tackling food insecurity, expanding caregiving support, improving maternal health or addressing other local health needs.
“Doctors see every day how factors like food insecurity, housing and transportation access directly affect patients’ health—often having broad impact across entire communities,” said AMA CEO and Executive Vice President John Whyte, MD, MPH. “Through this program and investment, the AMA empowers physicians to design creative solutions that address community needs while using our national reach to scale what works—turning local innovation into lasting, national change.”
The application period is open now and submissions are due March 1, 2026. Find out more at an informational webinar hosted by AMA physician experts, Dec. 16, 11 a.m. CST. Learn more and register now.
Sunday, Nov. 16
The AMA will help doctors drive health AI’s future
The AMA Center for Digital Health and AI was launched in October to put physicians at the center of shaping, guiding and implementing the augmented intelligence (AI) tools and other technologies that are transforming medicine.
Through the AMA Center for Digital Health and AI, four key areas that are pivotal to the long-term success of these technologies will be addressed. They are:
- Policy and regulatory leadership—working with regulators, policymakers and technology leaders to shape benchmarks for safe and effective use of AI in medicine and digital health tools.
- Clinical workflow integration—creating opportunities for physicians to shape AI and digital tools so they work within clinical workflows and enhance patient and clinician experience.
- Education and training—equipping physicians and health systems with knowledge and tools to integrate AI efficiently and effectively into practice.
- Collaboration—building partnerships across the tech, research, government and health care sectors to drive innovation aligned with patient needs.
AI, which is often called artificial intelligence, “will be a defining force in the future of health care, but right now we are barely scratching the surface of its potential,” Dr. Whyte said in a statement. “Digital health tools are everywhere, and the technology has limitless opportunity, but if you don’t understand clinical practice or clinical workflow, even the best tools will never be fully implemented.”
With the launch of the center, “the AMA is leading in this space so physicians have a say in the technology and clinical care of the future,” he added. “Our goal is to harness innovation responsibly and effectively, so it improves patient care and reduces unnecessary burdens on physicians.
From AI implementation to digital health adoption and EHR usability, the AMA is fighting to make technology work for physicians, ensuring that it is an asset to doctors.
That includes weighing in with Congress, as the AMA did recently with the influential Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for its hearing titled “AI’s Potential to Support Patients, Workers, Children and Families.” Read up on the four crucial things Capitol Hill must consider as health AI evolves.
Dive deeper on health AI this afternoon
Many of this afternoon’s educational offerings are focused on the practice-shaping impact of health AI. All of the sessions take place in National Harbor 2/3, with times listed in EST.
2–3 p.m. “Physician-led Innovation: Insights from the AMA Task Force on AI, Digital Health and Informatics.”
The task force builds on the AMA’s commitment to prepare and support physicians for the rapid evolution of digital health and AI in health care with physician-led innovation at the forefront. This session will provide an overview of key initiatives across the AMA aimed at advancing the responsible use of digital health, augmented intelligence and clinical informatics to improve patient care and physician well-being and provide an update on the important work of the task force.
3–4 p.m. “Navigating the Ethical Frontier of AI in Medicine.”
As AI rapidly reshapes the landscape of health care, the ethical responsibilities of physicians are expanding. Issues of patient safety, data privacy, transparency and clinical integrity have become increasingly complex as AI tools integrate into medical decision-making. These developments demand thoughtful and principled ethical guidance.
This AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs session convenes leading experts to explore the evolving ethical challenges and opportunities AI presents for physicians and health systems. Attendees will gain insights into the AMA’s emerging policy direction, the ethical principles guiding responsible AI use, and practical strategies for navigating this transformative era with integrity and confidence.
4–5 p.m. “AI Literacy for Physicians: A practical Guide to Understanding, evaluating and Leading in the Age of AI.”
As AI becomes embedded across health care, physicians must go beyond the headlines and develop true AI literacy. This session will help physicians not trained in informatics to understand what AI does well, where it falls short, and how to approach emerging tools with confidence and caution. Participants will leave with a practical road map for interacting with vendors, protecting patients and contributing to responsible governance of AI in their organizations.
Learn more with the AMA about the emerging landscape of health care AI. Also, find out how to apply AI to transform health care with the “AMA ChangeMedEd® Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Series.”
Saturday, Nov. 15
Reference committees meet today
AMA delegates will offer testimony today on more than 150 reports and resolutions up for consideration at the meeting. Delegates draw on their expertise, the best evidence in the medical and health policy literature, and the insights of their state medical associations and national medical specialty societies to weigh in on proposals that run the gamut of issues affecting patients and physicians.
These reference committees will meet from 1–5:30 p.m. EST today:
- Reference Committee on Amendments to Ethics and Bylaws, which covers the AMA constitution, bylaws and medical ethics matters. (National Harbor 10/11)
- Reference Committee B, which covers legislation. (Potomac B)
- Reference Committee C, which covers medical education. (Potomac C)
- Reference Committee F, which covers AMA finance and governance. (Maryland Ballroom)
- Reference Committee J, which covers medical service, practice and insurance. (Potomac D)
- Reference Committee K, which covers science and public health. (Potomac A)
Voting on reports and resolutions will start Monday, 9 a.m. EST, and continue Tuesday. Watch a short video, from 2019, to learn more about the nuts and bolts of how AMA policy is made.
Keep your finger on health care’s pulse with the AMA
Join the more than 150,000 people subscribed to the “AMA Health Care Pulse Report” newsletter on LinkedIn, the professional networking social media platform where nearly 300,000 people follow the AMA.
The “AMA Health Care Pulse Report” is a physician-focused news source that is published weekly and brings you essential information, research findings, viewpoints and more from the experts at the AMA—the physician’s powerful ally in health care.
Recent editions of the newsletter have explored:
- How telehealth use is surpassing prepandemic levels and varies by specialty.
- Why prioritizing physician well-being means prioritizing patient health.
- The physician workforce implications of H1-B visa changes.
- Why it’s critical to raise medicine’s voice at a defining moment for physicians.
- How more than 150 bills to expand nonphysicians’ scope of practice were defeated this year.
Subscribe to the “AMA Health Care Pulse Report” on LinkedIn today and share it with your physician colleagues.
Friday, Nov. 14
New AMA CEO outlines bold vision to shape health care’s future
Throughout its 178-year existence, the AMA has built a legacy as an organization that has evolved to meet the changing needs of physicians and patients. Tonight, new CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, laid out a vision for redefining that legacy and growing stronger amid challenging times for health care.
In his first formal remarks to the House of Delegates since taking over as the organization’s day-to-day leader in July, Dr. Whyte offered a bold plan that will allow the AMA to actively lead and adapt to the rapidly changing health care landscape, while protecting the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship.
“The future of the AMA is not something we wait for. It’s something we shape, with urgency and unity,” he said to applause. “At the heart of our work is you, the physician.”
Read further to learn about Dr. Whyte's plan to make sure physicians are the architects of health care's future in the U.S.
AMA president: Physicians must be “warriors” for systemic change
With a shrinking supply of physicians, a relentless rise in chronic disease, inefficient payment models and barriers to care often borne of bureaucracy, America’s health care system is under strain.
In his speech at tonight's opening session, AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, explained how the AMA and its members can drive solutions.
“Tonight, I challenge every physician in this room,” said Dr. Mukkamala, the AMA’s 180th president. “Let us be healers, yes, but let us be warriors when necessary. Warriors when we need to fight. Fight for our patients. Fight for our colleagues. Fight for the future of medicine.”
Read more highlights from Dr. Mukkamala's speech.
House of Delegates’ meeting starts today
Hundreds of physicians and medical students are gathering in National Harbor, Maryland, for the 2025 AMA Interim Meeting to consider proposals across a wide range of clinical practice, payment, medical education and public health topics. The meeting opens runs through Nov. 18.
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.
Find out how the AMA is:
- Leading the charge to reform the Medicare payment system.
- Fighting to fix prior authorization by challenging insurance companies to eliminate care delays, patient harms and practice hassles.
- Fighting scope creep, defending the practice of medicine against scope of practice expansions that threaten patient safety.
- Fighting to make technology work for physicians. From AI implementation to EHR adoption and usability, the AMA is working to ensure that tech is an asset to doctors.
- Leading on physician well-being, reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine®.
AMA Poster Showcase this afternoon
The 2025 AMA Interim Meeting Poster Showcase will feature research from nearly 300 medical students, residents and international medical graduates (IMGs) across 12 different categories. Meeting attendees are encouraged to stop in to speak with presenters about their work and enjoy refreshments.
Visit the showcase—3–5 p.m. EST in Prince George Exhibit Hall B—to view posters and presentations on a variety of topics and specialties. AMA members can submit their votes to help decide the best in show. You also can connect with participants by providing feedback, asking questions and giving accolades to help advance their research.
This year’s showcase will be held in conjunction with the AMA Career Resources event in the same exhibit hall. That event features opportunities to get free professional headshots, learn details about AMA member benefits and boost learning with five interactive clinical skills workshops.
Education sessions today
There is a wide variety of educational offerings available to delegates today at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, ahead of tonight’s opening session of the House of Delegates. Among them are these sessions (all times EST).
11 a.m.–noon: “Fixing Prior Authorization: Advocacy Wins and Next Steps.”
Prior authorization continues to rank among physicians’ top concerns, with AMA survey data showing steep increases in requirements for both prescription medications (84%) and medical services (82%) over the past five years. Nearly three in five physicians also report more generic drugs now requiring prior authorization.
To address this growing burden, the AMA has made prior authorization reform a top advocacy priority. New policy adopted the 2025 AMA Annual Meeting directs the creation of a national database to track denial rates, care delays and costs across major insurers. At the federal level, AMA has pressed regulators, including in testimony before the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, while also supporting state-level gold-carding programs and bills eliminating repetitive prior authorizations for chronic conditions.
This presentation will highlight the AMA’s advocacy campaigns, showcase state-level wins, and introduce resources such as FixPriorAuth.org to empower grassroots action. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the national strategy, practical tools to engage locally, and concrete steps to help reduce prior authorization volume in their own states and practices. (Chesapeake B/C)
2:30–4 p.m. “Cyber Threats to Care—What Physician Leaders Should Know”
Cyberattacks are no longer a distant IT problem—they are disrupting hospitals, delaying care and putting patients’ lives at risk. This session provides physician leaders with essential insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape and its impact on health care operations. Learn about cybersecurity threats to patient safety, explore real-world examples and discover actionable steps to strengthen organizational resilience and response in ways that safeguard clinical care. (Chesapeake 8/9)
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 Interim 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 2025 AMA Interim Meeting website, and the AMA's Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, Bluesky and X account using #AMAmtg.
Addresses from leadership and more will be featured on the AMA’s YouTube channel.
