Medicare payment reform, federal Medicaid sustainability, vaccination education and safety. A strong showing of Texas physicians who traveled to Chicago for the American Medical Association annual conference this June engaged in robust debates on these and other critical health care policies alongside hundreds of their peers.
The event drew passionate physicians nationwide, united in defending the scientific foundations of their profession.
“Reference committee meetings and House of Delegates debates were intense and prolonged,” said Michelle Berger, MD, chair of the Texas Delegation to the AMA.
A notable emergency resolution addressed the removal of members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. While Texas supported the resolution in principle, the delegation avoided the contentious debate.
“We prefer the Texas approach – leveraging education, leadership, and our strong relationships with U.S. Congress members, which has consistently proven effective,” TMA President Jayesh “Jay” Shah, MD, told Texas Medicine after issuing a statement to members on the topic.
Conference highlights
Texas fielded two exceptional candidates for AMA leadership: John Carlo, MD, for the AMA Board of Trustees, and Kevin McKinney, MD, for the AMA Council on Medical Education.
“Both ran highly competitive races, making significant inroads but falling just short by a few votes,” Dr. Berger said. “We are immensely proud of Drs. Carlo and McKinney for their dedication to organized medicine.”
The Texas delegation attended in full force at reference committee meetings and in the House of Delegates, showcasing strong representation in Chicago. And the popular Texas Chili Reception drew hundreds of physicians from around the country to connect with the delegation.
The Texas Delegation’s active participation and advocacy continue to shape national health care policy, reinforcing their commitment to improving the health of all Texans.
Key resolutions the Texas delegation supported include:
- Advocating for adequate Medicare physician payments.
- Opposing federal Medicaid funding cuts to protect access to care.
- Promoting nutrition education in U.S. medical schools.
- Advocating for the restoration of J-1 visa processing for international medical graduate physicians.
- Ensuring physician involvement in health care applications of augmented intelligence.
- Challenging insurance companies to streamline prior authorization processes to reduce care delays and patient harm.
- Encouraging research to address root causes of unmatched medical graduates.
- Urging AMA to define principles for board-certifying bodies, including education, training, and physician competence assessments.
- Advocating for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans to include inflation-based updates and fair payment rates, independent of Medicare rates.
- Supporting evidence-based responses to measles and misuse of Vitamin A.
- Renaming the AMA Minority Affairs Section to the Underrepresented in Medicine Advocacy Section.
Learn more about the Texas Delegation’s work, and other ways to stay involved with federal advocacy.