American Medical Association in the News

AMA in the News covers media coverage and mentions about the American Medical Association. Find articles recognizing our efforts in health care, advocacy, medical education and improvements in public health. Read coverage on the achievements of our leadership and the members of the AMA community.

Why a $1 Billion gift to a medical school moved so many people
1. New York Times, Feb. 29, 2024
2. The cost of a medical education is one major factor driving the doctor shortage that Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, president of the American Medical Association, has called a national crisis. In an October speech at the National Press Club, he said that the physician shortfall in the United States could climb to at least 37,000 over the next decade, and it might reach 100,000. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)
AI’s not AI at this doctors’ group
1. Politico, Feb. 28, 2024
2. In touting a new report on the role of AI in health care, the AMA’s co-authors at consulting firm Manatt Health felt the need to append a note explaining that the doctors’ group “uses the term ‘augmented intelligence’ rather than ‘artificial intelligence’ to reflect its perspective that artificial intelligence tools and services support rather than explicitly replace human decision-making.”
3. That’s fighting against a giant linguistic tide, but AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, in a speech late last year, said it was “very intentional—even though we lose this battle most days of the week.”
4. “Human beings must always, always be at the center of patient care,” Ehrenfeld added.
NPs need MDs
1. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Feb. 25, 2024
2. But research from the American Medical Association mapped out locations of primary care physicians and nurse practitioners in rural, western states and showed they tend to practice in the same areas of the state as physicians, regardless of scope of practice laws.
One of the last abortion doctors in Indiana
1. New Yorker, Feb. 25, 2024
2. Their argument was grounded in the AMA’s Code of Ethics, which says that a physician, while respecting the law, has “a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)
Doctors shocked and angry as Alabama ruling throws IVF care into turmoil
1. The Guardian, Feb. 23, 2024
2. Meegan said the ACOG, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) have all been in “rapid response” mode since the Dobbs decision, writing briefs to state courts to fight abortion bans.
Senators line up to support restoring physician reimbursement cut in Medicare
1. Medical Economics, Feb. 23, 2024
2. The American Medical Association (AMA) announced the letter and issued a statement from President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH. He praised the leadership of Sen. John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), who sounded the call among the senators.
Measles cases are rising in the U.S. Here’s why misinformation about the vaccine persists today
1. PBS, Feb. 23, 2024
2. Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, president of the American Medical Association that has opposed religious-based vaccine exemptions, echoed that these dispensations are informed by misinformation, which “continues to drive vaccine hesitancy.”
3. To prevent more measles outbreaks, Ehrenfeld said the U.S. must improve vaccine coverage and strategies to combat these untruths.
More women than ever are becoming doctors. Here’s why there are still so few.
1. The Hill, Feb. 22, 2024
2. The ranks of female doctors have also been steadily increasing. In 2007, just over 28 percent of practicing physicians in the country were women. By 2021, the most recent year for which the American Medical Association (AMA) has data, more than 37 percent (PDF) were.
States target health insurers' red tape around prior authorization
1. Medpage Today, Feb. 19, 2024
2. Last year, lawmakers in 29 states and Washington, D.C., considered some 90 bills to limit prior authorization requirements, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), with notable victories in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. The physicians association expects more bills this year, many with provisions spelled out in model legislation (PDF) the group drafted.
Why the best place to check blood pressure may not be a doctor’s office
1. Washington Post, Feb. 19, 2024
2. All of the experts we talked with recommended the American Medical Association’s US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing as a good starting point when shopping for a home monitor. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)
U.S. probes role of supply chain middlemen in generic shortages
1. Medpage Today, Feb. 15, 2024
2. AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, applauded the agency's actions.
3. "Cracking down on bad actors—particularly those whose actions adversely impact our patients—is a critical step to ensuring and restoring patient access to chemotherapies and other drugs. Prior authorization, bureaucratic red tape, and onerous processes are bad enough—too often resulting in patients abandoning necessary care—without middlemen abusing their market power to make matters worse," Ehrenfeld wrote in an email.
'Pressure is on' for prior authorization reform, AMA president says
1. Becker’s Hospital Review, Feb. 15, 2024
2. Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, pointed to CMS' recent rule that, among other effects, will shorten the time frame for prior authorization decisions, according to a Feb. 14 article on AMA's website. He also pointed to voluntary prior authorization cuts made in 2023 by UnitedHealthcare and Cigna. Additionally, more than 70 prior authorization reform bills have been introduced in 28 states this year.
States get in on the prior authorization crackdown
1. KFF Health News, Feb. 15, 2024
2. Last year, lawmakers in 29 states and District of Columbia considered some 90 bills to limit prior authorization requirements, according to the American Medical Association, with notable victories in New Jersey and D.C. The physicians association expects more bills this year.
Urologist sues health system over noncompete clause
1. Medscape, Feb. 15, 2024
2. In June, the AMA's House of Delegates adopted policies to support the prohibition of noncompete contracts for employed physicians. The change came several months after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that could more broadly ban companies from enforcing noncompete clauses. (Free registration is required to view content.)
'Humbling, Exhausting, Exhilarating': The Life of AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld
1. Medpage Today, Feb. 14, 2024
2. "Humbling, exhausting, and exhilarating." That's how Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), described his experience so far, 8 months into his 1-year tenure.
3. Although it has been interesting to be on "some pretty big stages," some of the more meaningful experiences have come in the lesser-known destinations, Ehrenfeld said here Tuesday during an interview at the AMA's annual advocacy conference.
Wait till next year on Medicare doctor pay reform, lawmakers say
1. Politico, Feb. 14, 2024
2. An election-year slowdown in legislative activity will likely forestall action, House members told disappointed doctors attending the American Medical Association conference in Washington today.
Biden’s cancer moonshot boosts startups
1. Modern Healthcare, Feb. 13, 2024
2. In November, the American Medical Association said it worked with the moonshot team to introduce four procedural terminology codes to reimburse clinicians and community health workers for providing cancer navigation. The services, which help patients navigate appointments, medications and other complexities associated with having cancer, have existed without specific reimbursement codes for decades. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)
Physicians lobby Congress on Medicare pay cuts
1. Roll Call, Feb. 13, 2024
2. In an interview, AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, said Congress had an opportunity to reverse the cuts in the most recent continuing stopgap funding law, but didn’t.
3. “Congress continues to fail the American people and is unproductive and that is a little disheartening as we continue to work in a very challenging political environment,” he said, adding, “There’s not an office I go to where people say ‘Oh sure this [the cuts] makes sense.’ People understand this has to be addressed. It’s just the mechanics of Congress.”
How this country doctor embraced artificial intelligence
1. Kevin MD, Feb. 9, 2024
2. According to the American Medical Association, about 63 percent of physicians report experiencing emotional exhaustion at least once weekly. The sheer volume of clinical documentation required for seeing patients can contribute to physician burnout. We know burnout can adversely affect patient care, leading to errors and reduced care quality.
States tackle prior authorizations amid outcry
1. Modern Healthcare, Feb. 9, 2024
2. Advocates for limits on prior authorizations, such as the AMA, pressed state legislatures to act. The AMA drafted model legislation to shorten prior authorization timelines to 24 hours for urgent care and 48 hours for other requests, which New Jersey and Washington largely adopted. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)