Compared with previous years, 2024 saw a lower volume of state bills to inappropriately expand nonphysicians’ scope of practice. But that slight drop in legislative activity is not putting at ease the minds of the physicians and others working on legislative issues at state medical associations and national specialty societies, according to new AMA survey data.
In all, 87% of those surveyed by the AMA in the fall said scope of practice was their top advocacy priority, leading the pack of more than a dozen other critical issues affecting patients and physicians. Nearly all the state medical association representatives surveyed—94%—said scope of practice was their top legislative priority, compared with 67% of respondents from national specialty societies.
The AMA is fighting scope creep, defending the practice of medicine against scope of practice expansions that threaten patient safety and undermine physician-led, team-based care. That includes equipping physician leaders and medical society staffers with the insights and tools they need to make their case to lawmakers, regulators, news media and the public.
Today marks the opening of the annual AMA State Advocacy Summit, held this year in Carlsbad, California. The physicians and medical staffers attending will:
- Hear from national experts on the critical issues impacting medicine at the state level.
- Strategize with advocacy leaders on their organizations’ state legislative and regulatory priorities.
- Network with other physician leaders and colleagues from across the country.
Highlights of the summit include expert-led sessions on:
- Medical student and physician well-being.
- State guardrails for augmented intellience (AI) in medicine.
- State legislatures, policy and politics.
- Payer practices and access to care.
- Mental health and substance-use disorder parity.
- Private equity and the corporatization of medicine.
- Scope of practice.
Why scope of practice is a top priority
In 2024, the AMA worked with nearly every state medical association and it continues to update and create new advocacy tools and resources for physicians to combat improper expansions.
Altogether, the AMA worked with state medical and specialty societies to defeat more than 80 bills to inappropriately expand nonphysicians’ scope of practice. As with last year, 2025 will likely see further legislative attempts to expand scope of practice for:
- Pharmacists.
- Physician assistants.
- Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists.
- Psychologists.
- Naturopaths.
- Optometrists.
One-third of all respondents to the AMA survey named truth in advertising related to the role of physicians and nonphysicians on the health care team as a top state advocacy priority. While 29% of state medical association respondents identified truth in advertising as a top priority, 44% of those at national specialty societies did. The AMA’s Truth in Advertising campaign aims to ensure patients clearly know the license and training of those providing their health care, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their care.
Learn more with the AMA about what sets apart physicians and nonphysicians.
Stay up to date on fight against scope creep
See how the AMA defends against scope of practice expansions that threaten patient safety.
What else tops agenda for 2025
The AMA’s survey of medical association leaders has other revelations. Other issues, in order of priority according to the survey results, include:
- Medicaid.
- Physician workforce.
- Private health insurance practices.
- Public health.
- Physician burnout and well-being.
- Business of medicine.
- Telehealth and telemedicine.
- Health care AI.
- Drug-overdose epidemic issues.
- Antitrust and competition.
- Data/EHRs.
On doctor burnout, the AMA has established itself as the leader in physician well-being, working to remove administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine™.
Meanwhile, AMA advocacy to support medical students’ and physicians’ health and wellness has resulted in dozens of victories at the state legislative, regulatory and hospital and health-system levels. AMA wins also have come via positive changes and communications from national policymaking and accreditation organizations.
As of last fall, AMA advocacy has helped more than 1.1 million physicians and other licensed health professionals in that 34 licensure boards, including 29 medical boards, and more than 425 hospitals and health systems have changed their licensing and credentialing applications to no longer ask inappropriate mental health questions or use stigmatizing language.
And whether the issue is telehealth, AI implementation or EHR adoption and usability, the AMA is fighting to make technology work for physicians, ensuring that it is an asset to doctors—not a burden.
More than 100 bills related to health AI were introduced in state legislatures in 2024, many falling into one of three categories: regulating state use of AI or creating an entity to study the issue, transparency, and applications of AI in health care—including using AI in clinical decision-making. About 20 bills passed in 2024, and among those bills most were aimed at regulating state activities or establishing AI task forces or committees.
From Medicare payment reform to reducing physician burnout, fixing prior authorization to defending against scope creep, the AMA is fighting for you, so you can stay focused on your patients. Hear more from our AMA members.
