AMA in the News: April 2023

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. The ‘war on science’ is hurting our health. These leaders are fighting back

   1. Fortune, April 26, 2023
   2. Jack Resneck, MD, said the American Medical Association has seen a staggering increase in health issues being politicized over the past five years, thanks to the popularity of social media. 

2. This could be one of the most brazen attacks on Americans’ health yet

   1. New York Times, April 20, 2023
   2. We simply cannot be a country where your access to the care you need is determined by the whims of ideologically driven judges and lawmakers without medical or scientific training. That’s why a dozen of the nation’s leading medical organizations, including the one I head, the American Medical Association, strongly oppose this politically motivated assault on patient and physician autonomy and have filed amicus briefs to make our case. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

3. Supreme Court pushes back its own deadline to rule on abortion pill access

   1. CBS News, April 20, 2023
   2. The American medical association also is pointing to the bigger picture, calling the lower court rulings dangerous and saying they could undermine FDA approvals of many other drugs.

4. Abortion drug ruling could fuel mistrust in the FDA

   1. Axios, April 12, 2023
   2. The court's rebuff of scientific facts ... undermines informed decisions, erodes trust in institutions, exacerbates social divides, and places individual and collective health at risk," the American Medical Association said in a statement on the ruling.

5. What prior authorization changes in MA Final Rule mean for providers

   1. RevCycle Intelligence, April 12, 2023
   2. “As the [AMA] continues to analyze the details of a new final rule that revises Medicare Advantage and the Medicare prescription drug benefit, an initial read suggests that the [CMS] has taken important steps toward right-sizing the prior authorization process imposed by Medicare Advantage plans on medical services and procedures,” Jack Resneck Jr., MD, president of AMA, said in a statement.

6. Meet the gay combat vet who will run the American Medical Association

   1. Advocate, April 11, 2023
   2. “At present, we have so many health issues affecting our community, particularly among our trans youth, so it’s more important than ever to be vigilant,” said Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, who will become the AMA president in June, after being elected during the AMA’s Annual Meeting last summer.

7. Industry groups applaud bill connecting Medicare payments to inflation

   1. HealthExec, April 10, 2023
   2. “This toxic brew threatens health care access for Medicare patients,” AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, said in a statement. “It’s no coincidence that the bill sponsors are physicians. They know the challenges physicians face. The AMA will work with them so the rest of Congress understand that the status quo threatens access to care in communities across our country.” 

8. AMA’s first gay president to take over at tumultuous time

   1. Associated Press, April 9, 2023
   2. At 44, Ehrenfeld will be among the AMA’s youngest presidents when he begins his one-year term on June 13. An anesthesiologist, Navy combat veteran and father of two young children, he spoke recently to The Associated Press about his background and new job.

9. Telemedicine still going strong as U.S. COVID fears fade

   1. Voice of America, April 9, 2023
   2. "Telehealth can be really useful," Jack Resneck Jr., MD, president of the American Medical Association, told VOA. "If you're talking to a patient with diabetes, for instance, and you ask them about their diet, they can point their camera phone at the food in their refrigerator and show you what they eat."