AMA in the News: February 2025

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. House GOP Doctors Caucus throws support to restoring Medicare reimbursement

   1. Medical Economics, Feb. 28, 2025
   2. In business, that’s unsustainable, especially for doctors in rural and underserved communities, American Medical Association (AMA) President Bruce Scott, MD, said in a statement. AMA and other physician groups have noted the cut to physician reimbursement could force doctors to reduce the number of Medicare patients they serve—or stop taking them altogether.
   3. “You don’t have to be a physician to understand the threat to access for Medicare patients these continued cuts pose. But those of us on the front lines caring for patients see it every day,” Scott said.

2. Ad Council, hospitals team up on new gun violence campaign

   1. Chief Healthcare Executive, Feb. 28, 2025
   2. The Ad Council points to surveys showing consensus in some areas, with 80% of American households with gun owners agreeing that safe storage of firearms would reduce gun violence. The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Medical Association are both providing financing for the campaign.

3. Report: Physicians worried about AI’s impact on prior authorization denials

   1. Benefits Pro, Feb. 26, 2025
   2. According to a new survey (PDF) from the American Medical Association (AMA), 3 in 5 physicians (61%) are concerned that health plans’ use of AI is increasing prior authorization denials, exacerbating avoidable patient harms, and escalating unnecessary waste now and into the future. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

4. Most doctors fear insurers using AI to deny coverage

   1. Chief Healthcare Executive, Feb. 26, 2025
   2. Bruce A. Scott, MD, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement accompanying the survey, “Using AI-enabled tools to automatically deny more and more needed care is not the reform of prior authorization physicians and patients are calling for.”

5. Physicians say prior authorization stands in the way of medically necessary care

   1. Healthcare Dive, Feb. 25, 2025
   2. Almost one in three physicians surveyed by the AMA said prior authorization criteria are rarely or never evidence-based. The majority of respondents said prior authorization led to overall higher medical utilization, with 77% of physicians reporting patients had to first attempt an ineffective initial treatment.
   3. “Emerging evidence shows that insurers use automated decision-making systems to create systematic batch denials with little or no human review, placing barriers between patients and necessary medical care,” Bruce Scott, MD, said in a statement. “Medical decisions must be made by physicians and their patients without interference from unregulated and unsupervised AI technology.”

6. Zing Health looks to boost cardiac value-based care with partnership

   1. Crain’s Chicago Business, Feb. 24, 2025
   2. Zing Health, which launched in 2019 out of the American Medical Association's Health 2047 innovation lab, was co-founded by doctor turned entrepreneur Eric Whitaker, MD. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

7. Medicare reimbursement rates explained: Why they keep declining, and what the future holds

   1. Medical Economics, Feb. 17, 2025
   2. According to the American Medical Association (AMA) (PDF), Medicare physician payment rates rose by only 11% between 2001 and 2021, while practice expenses increased by 39% during that period, illustrating how reimbursement has failed to keep pace with economic realities.

8. Why states are tackling physicians’ concerns about mental health treatment

   1. Washington Post, Feb. 17, 2025
   2. More than 40 percent of physicians, medical school students and residents cite fear of disclosure requirements on licensure forms as a main reason they don’t seek mental health care (PDF), according to the American Medical Association, which has been pushing for legislative and regulatory changes.(Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

9. Two out of three doctors say they’re using AI

   1. Chief Healthcare Executive, Feb. 13, 2025
   2. Two out of three doctors (66%) say they are using AI in their practice, up from 38% in 2023, the AMA survey found. Some of the top increased uses of AI tools include documentation of patient visits, developing discharge instructions, translation services, and summaries of medical research.

10. Medicare cuts In 2025: Navigating private practice challenges

    1. Forbes, Feb. 13, 2025
    2. Over the past two decades, Medicare physician payments have decreased by 29% when adjusted for inflation, according to the American Medical Association. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

11. AI use among docs sees big jump: AMA survey

    1. Modern Healthcare, Feb. 12, 2025
    2. The American Medical Association published a survey Wednesday that found 66% of clinicians reported using AI last year, which was up from 38% in 2023. Respondents not using AI dropped dramatically from 62% in 2023 to just 33% in 2024. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

12. Medicare is failing patients: A new bill can help fix that

    1. Forbes, Feb. 11, 2025
    2. Medicare is failing patients and physicians. After adjusting for inflation, physician reimbursement under Medicare has declined by 33% from 2001 to 2025, according to the American Medical Association. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

13. Congress 'stumbling through the dark' on telehealth extension

    1. Modern Healthcare, Feb. 11, 2025
    2. The American Medical Association estimated in 2023 that about three-quarters of doctors worked in practices that used telehealth, compared to one-quarter before the pandemic. The AMA testified to Congress last year that telehealth flexibilities were vital to reaching rural and underserved populations, as well as driving innovation. (Publication subscription is required for full or unlimited access.)

14. Federal leaders turning their backs on doctors with Medicare reimbursement cut, medical groups say

    1. Medical Economics, Feb. 10, 2025
    2. The American Medical Association announced the joint missive and praised a group of 10 bipartisan representatives sponsoring the bill. It would stop the 2.83% cut and provide a 2% payment update.

15. Congressional bill could reverse Medicare cuts and increase physician pay

    1. Health Exec, Feb. 10, 2025
    2. The AMA and many societies have predicted that Medicare reimbursement cuts for physicians are creating far-reaching consequences for the American healthcare system, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The AMA has said some physicians have already decided to no longer accept Medicare patients because the payments do not cover the costs for providing care.

16. Reversing Medicare payment cuts to doctors | Bills and Laws

    1. Chief Healthcare Executive, Feb. 8, 2025
    2. The American Medical Association has strongly backed the bill. Bruce A. Scott, MD, president of the AMA, said the trend of cuts in payments “is unsustainable.”
    3. “Patient access to care and practice sustainability are not partisan or geographical issues,” Dr. Scott said in a statement backing the bill. “It’s an urgent national issue that demands immediate attention from Congress.”

17. What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care

    1. The Conversation, Feb. 4, 2025
    2. In a large American Medical Association survey, 35.7% of physicians in 2022-23 expressed an intent to leave their practice within two years.

18. AMA-backed bill seeks to stop 2.83% Medicare payment cut

    1. Tech Target Rev Cycle Management, Feb. 3, 2025
    2. "This legislation would begin to roll back the cuts physician practices have faced over the last four years while we all have experienced high inflation," stated Bruce A. Scott, MD, president of the AMA. "As evidenced by this bipartisan legislation, lawmakers know the trend is unsustainable and, if left unaddressed, will ultimately harm their constituents. Patient access to care and practice sustainability are not partisan or geographical issues. It's an urgent national issue that demands immediate attention from Congress."

19. Bill’s sponsors on Medicare cut: ‘The future of private practice is in dire straights’ 

    1. HME News, Feb. 3, 2025
    2. According to an AMA analysis of data from the Medicare Trustees Report and the Federal Register, Medicare physician payments increased by only 7% between 2001 and 2025, or just 0.3% per year. Meanwhile, the cost of running a medical practice—which includes everything from office rent and staff salaries to electronic medical records and liability insurance premiums —rose by 59%. 
    3. “The clock is ticking,” Scott said. “The continuing resolution expires on March 14. Physicians are healers first, but we are asking them to become vocal advocates for their patients over the next 45 days by contacting their members of Congress and urging them to include this bill in the next spending package. Patients, particularly Medicare recipients and anyone with a family member on Medicare, should do likewise.” 

20. Bill introduced to reverse 2.83% physician Medicare cuts

    1. Becker’s ASC, Feb. 3, 2025
    2. The American Medical Association has strongly endorsed the measure, pledging to collaborate with lawmakers to incorporate it into forthcoming legislation to extend federal government funding beyond the March 14 deadline. (Free registration is required to view content.)