AMA in the News: March 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. New bipartisan bill and physician pay cuts: What patients need to know

   1. Forbes, March 31, 2026
   2. According to the American Medical Association, Medicare physician payments have declined more than 30% since 2001 when adjusted for inflation. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

2. From shortage to strategy: Close the AI sourcing skills gap

   1. Fast Company, March 31, 2026
   2. Additionally, research from the American Medical Association found that roughly 66% of physicians reported using health care AI in 2024 up from 38% in 2023.

3. Commentary: How you stop a prescription medicine is as important as how you start

   1. San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, March 31, 2026
   2. That’s why the American Medical Association is urging physicians and patients to embrace a concept gaining momentum in health care: deprescribing.
   3. John Whyte, MD, MPH, is chief executive officer and executive vice president of the American Medical Association.

4. Bipartisan bill would cap Medicare physician pay cuts

   1. Modern Healthcare, March 31, 2026
   2. “Economic forecasting is a dicey proposition,” AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said in a statement. “When CMS makes a forecast for the initial utilization of a new Medicare service, sometimes that forecast turns out to be inaccurate once claims data become available. There’s no reason that patients and physicians should have to bear the brunt of that miscalculation.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

5. Physician AI adoption is surging: We must lead its integration

   1. Medscape, March 26, 2026
   2. New research from the American Medical Association’s Center for Digital Health and AI shows just how quickly augmented intelligence is becoming part of everyday clinical practice. In 2023, about 38% of physicians reported using some form of AI in their work. Today, that number is 81%.
   3. John Whyte, MD, MPH, is chief executive officer of the American Medical Association. (Free registration is required to view content.)

6. 1 in 3 adults turn to AI chatbots for health information, poll says

   1. Forbes, March 25, 2026
   2. Just last week, an American Medical Association survey of U.S. physicians showed doctors are worried about patient use of AI to “interpret complicated results without the assistance of a physician.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

7. What the AMA’s new CEO is hearing from doctors & patients right now

   1. Fixing Healthcare Podcast, March 24, 2026
   2. John Whyte, MD, MPH, has spent his career at the intersection of medicine, media and public policy. Now, as CEO of the American Medical Association, he hears firsthand what physicians, patients and health leaders are most concerned about and what they expect from the future of health care.

8. AMA: Blended physician compensation model prevails

   1. Tech Target, March 24, 2026
   2. The popular blended compensation model, therefore, suggests that more physicians are benefiting from a stable salary with the potential for a modest boost through productivity, AMA added.

9. Startups are pushing AI into patient care

   1. Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2026
   2. John Whyte, MD, MPH, CEO of the American Medical Association, said a human doctor should make the call on any medical course of action, including prescription refills, adding that a medicine that is low-risk for one person might be high-risk for another.
   3. “We do not support the idea of autonomous tools independently deciding whether a patient needs a prescription renewal,” he said. “There needs to be physician oversight.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

10. Bipartisan bill would waive $100,000 visa fees for medical professionals

    1. New York Times, March 17, 2026
    2. “I live in Flint, Michigan, a very medically underserved place that really depends on international medical graduates,” said Bobby Mukkamala, MD, president of the AMA. “If this doesn’t get fixed, it leaves places like my hometown and other rural communities without enough physicians to take care of that population.”
    3. “In many such communities, international medical graduates play a vital role in providing care and ensuring patients can see a doctor when they need one,” he added. The organization urged Congress to act quickly. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

11. AMA CEO: Tech is leading how we use health

    1. Healthcare Finance News, March 16, 2026
    2. Physicians need to lead on tech transformation, especially when it comes to AI, said American Medical Association Executive VP and CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, and Micky Tripathi, chief AI implementation officer for the Mayo Clinic.

12. Stark divide: Americans more confident in career scientists at U.S. health agencies than leaders

    1. Annenberg Public Policy Center, March 5, 2026
    2. However, if the American Medical Association and the CDC disagree on the safety of a vaccine, Americans are twice as likely to accept the recommendation of the AMA (34%) than the CDC (15%).

13. Insurers say they’ll ease preapprovals. Doctors have doubts.

    1. Washington Post, March 10, 2026
    2. American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said insurers should publicly share ‘clear, measurable examples’ of progress. “Patients and physicians remain skeptical,” Mukkamala said in a statement to WP Intelligence. ‘Insurers have made similar promises before and failed to deliver meaningful change.’ (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

14. 4 in 5 doctors now use AI in their practices, AMA survey says

    1. Forbes, March 12, 2026
    2. “AI has quickly become part of everyday medical practice," AMA chief executive officer John Whyte, MD, MPH, who is presenting the survey findings at this week’s HIMSS 2026 conference in Las Vegas. "Physicians see real promise in its ability to support clinical decisions and cut down on administrative burden. But as this technology advances, it is critical that augmented intelligence be designed to enhance—not replace—physicians.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

15. RFK Jr. losing battle to boost trust in public health agencies

    1. The Hill, March 9, 2026
    2. Seventy-three percent to 82% of respondents in the Annenberg survey said they had confidence in the public health information coming from groups such as the AMA, AAP and the American Heart Association. 

16. Don’t trust this $4 solution for getting a prescription

    1. Washington Post, March 9, 2026
    2. The American Medical Association warned that accuracy claims don’t replace clinical judgment (PDF). (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

17. The era of Doctor AI is already here

    1. Axios, March 6, 2026
    2. "Too often people are using this as an expert and not as an assistant," American Medical Association CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, told Axios in an interview.

18. A new poll shows who Americans trust over the CDC

    1. Washington Post, March 5, 2026
    2. Eight in 10 (82%) U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association, 77% are confident in the American Academy of Pediatrics, and 73% are confident in the American Medical Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

19. How Kennedy is trying to revamp medical school

    1. New York Times, March 4, 2026
    2. In 1962, for instance, the American Medical Association held a conference on the matter, after a report by the group concluded that there was “inadequate recognition, support, and attention given to this subject in medical schools.” (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

20. The task force that shapes Americans’ preventive care has not met in a year. Doctors now worry it’s being ‘abandoned’ by HHS

    1. CNN, March 3, 2026
    2. At the time, the American Medical Association wrote a letter to Kennedy expressing its “deep concern,” calling for the appointed membership to continue and for regular meetings to resume.
    3. “We urge you to keep the previously appointed USPSTF members and continue the task force’s regular meeting schedule to ensure recommendations are put forth, updated, and disseminated without delay,” the AMA wrote (PDF).