AMA in the News: February 2026

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.

1. Can't get a prescription renewed? Here's how to cope with prior authorizations

   1. NPR, Feb. 26, 2026
   2. In a 2024 letter, the American Medical Association said health plans use of prior authorization is "opaque and overly complex," creating delays in care and greater administrative burden.

2. Morehouse Alumnus Dr. Willie Underwood III elected president of American Medical Association

   1. Black Enterprise, Feb. 26, 2026
   2. “It is an incredible honor to be chosen by my peers to represent physicians and the patients we serve at this critical moment for health care and medicine,” Dr. Underwood said in a statement. “The AMA is leading the way in fighting for a rational Medicare payment system, to rein in prior authorization, and reduce physician burnout. I will stand up to advocate for our profession in a way that will inspire, motivate, and activate physicians to join the AMA in our efforts to improve the health of our nation.”

3. UC receives grant for AI use in medical education

   1. Spectrum News 13, Feb. 25, 2026
   2. The American Medical Association chose 11 team recipients from among nearly 200 applicants. 

4. Q&A: AMA president’s health crisis informs view of U.S. system

   1. Medscape, Feb. 25, 2026
   2. Just over a year after he underwent an awake craniotomy at the Mayo Clinic, Mukkamala spoke to Medscape Medical News about his experience as a patient and what it taught him about fixing American medicine.(Free registration is required to view content.)

5. Medical school should be free, billionaire says

   1. MedPage Today, Feb. 25, 2026
   2. Medical school should be free, said Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur from "Shark Tank" and the co-founder of a pharmaceutical start-up, during the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference. (Free registration is required to view content.)

6. Meet the 'Change Agent' trying to shake up the AMA

   1. MedPage Today, Feb. 20, 2026
   2. John Whyte, MD, MPH, became the American Medical Association's executive vice president and CEO in July 2025. (Free registration is required to view content.)

7. AMA CEO calls for crackdown on deepfake doctors

   1. Medical Economics, Feb. 18, 2026
   2. AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, warned that artificial intelligence-generated “deepfake” videos impersonating real physicians are posing a growing threat to public health.

8. Crain’s Chicago People on the Move

   1. Crain’s Chicago Business, Feb. 18, 2026
   2. The AMA appointed Christy Loebach, MBA, as its next chief financial officer. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

9. AMA CEO: Deepfake doctors are a threat to public health

   1. STAT news, Feb. 17, 2026
   2. Patients deserve to trust that medical advice comes from a real, qualified professional acting in their best interest. Federal action is necessary to protect both patients and doctors—and prevent new technologies from eroding the time-tested foundations of medical care. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

10. Inside the effort to create a system to review vaccine safety, effectiveness for the next respiratory season

    1. CNN, Feb. 16, 2026
    2. CNN News Central's Kate Bolduan speaks with Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Infectious Disease Research & Policy Center, and Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an internal medicine physician, about a new effort by the American Medical Association and The Vaccine Integrity Project to create a system to review vaccine safety and effectiveness.

11. ‘Delay’ and ‘Deny’: Even health insurance companies agree prior authorization process is broken

    1. KQED, Feb. 12, 2026
    2. “The California law is different. It puts the onus on the health plans,” said David Aizuss, MD, an ophthalmologist in Los Angeles and chair of the board of trustees at the American Medical Association, which has been tracking state legislation.

12. RFK Jr. promised to restore trust in U.S. health agencies. A year later, it’s eroding.

    1. AP News, Feb. 12, 2026
    2. The American Medical Association, working with the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project, this week announced a new evidence-based process for reviewing the safety of respiratory virus vaccines

13. Health insurance hell: Why do I need prior authorization?

    1. NPR, Feb. 10, 2026
    2. And keeping track of all that can be really difficult for doctors, which is why the American Medical Association says prior authorizations—like, the process of getting one—needs to be more transparent.

14. AMA joins effort to launch vaccine science review amid CDC turmoil

    1. Washington Post, Feb. 10, 2026
    2. The American Medical Association and a leading public health research group focused on vaccines are teaming up to create a system to review vaccine safety and effectiveness, mirroring a role long played by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

15. AMA launching its own vaccine safety, effectiveness review system

    1. The Hill, Feb. 10, 2026
    2. The American Medical Association on Tuesday announced the launch of its own “evidence-based review process” of vaccine safety and efficacy for the next respiratory viral season, an apparent tacit rebuke of the federal government’s current regulations.

16. Flint doctor weighs in on first six months as AMA president

    1. ABC 12 News, Feb. 9, 2026
    2. Bobby Mukkamala, MD, president of the AMA, recently visited the White House to discuss health policy and prevention strategies.

17. Measles doesn’t just make kids sick—it makes them forget how to fight illness for years

    1. Motherly, Feb. 9, 2026
    2. To understand what's really at stake when a child contracts measles, we spoke with Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD, a trustee of the American Medical Association, about the serious complications parents should know about.

18. AMA president shares brain cancer journey on World Cancer Day

    1. Cure, Feb. 4, 2026
    2. In an interview with CURE, the American Medical Association president and head and neck surgeon described undergoing brain surgery, tests and insurance hurdles, including prior authorization for a $900-a-day IDH inhibitor.

19. A ray of hope breaking through RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine campaign

    1. Washington Post, Feb. 3, 2026
    2. Even more heartening is that the document was quickly endorsed by 12 other major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

20. Congress extends Medicare telehealth coverage for two years

    1. Forbes, Feb. 3, 2026
    2. The AMA cited a Brown University review of electronic medical record data that showed fee-for-service telemedicine visits dropped 24% nationally during the first 17 days of the shutdown. “Several states saw declines approaching or exceeding 40%, highlighting the sensitivity of access to policy disruptions,” the AMA said in January. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)