Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
AMA Aims To Change Its 'Timid' Approach With RFK Jr.
Politico: America’s Doctors Just Voted For War With RFK Jr.
American doctors want their leading lobby to drop its nice guy routine with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At the American Medical Association’s annual meeting this week, members of the group’s House of Delegates are sending a clear message to their leaders: Call out Kennedy, even if it costs us in the pocketbook. That message was stated most clearly in the election of Sandra Fryhofer, an internist from Atlanta and uncompromising Kennedy critic, as AMA president-elect. (Levien, 6/10)
MedPage Today: AMA Adopts Policy Pushing Back On AI Creep In Medicine
Artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine must always be overseen by physicians, according to a policy adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA) on Tuesday. At its annual meeting on Tuesday, AMA's House of Delegates passed a resolution requiring its leaders to advocate for legislation and regulation requiring AI tools to "integrate with the physician-led team and be used at the direction of the treating physician; respect the continuity of care and best practices related to transitions of care; have transparent, auditable data demonstrating safety and efficacy; [and] be subject to relevant and appropriate regulations (including but not limited to those related to liability and documentation)." (Frieden, 6/10)
MedPage Today: AMA Delegates Stop Short Of Backing Universal Newborn Cytomegalovirus Screening
A proposal to back universal newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) was fiercely debated among the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates on Tuesday. The proposal was ultimately referred for more study after several speakers threw cold water on the idea, saying such policies -- now in place just in Minnesota and Connecticut -- could do more harm than good. (Clark, 6/10)
Modern Healthcare: American Medical Association Opposes ‘Provider’ Term For Physicians
It’s a common turn of phrase: “Talk to your healthcare provider today.” But according to the American Medical Association, the word “provider” doesn’t cut it. The AMA voted this week during its annual meeting in Chicago to oppose the use of “provider” when referring to a clinician with a medical degree. It’s a pointed reference to the AMA’s larger strategy to fight scope creep. (Hudson, 6/10)
In other health industry news —
Bloomberg: Diabetes Conference Expulsions Lead To Apology And Resignations
American Diabetes Association Chief Executive Officer Chuck Henderson issued an apology for the forcible removal of five prominent obesity scientists from the group’s annual meeting who were handing out copies of an anti-Trump editorial. “Regardless of the circumstances that led to those events, I recognize the impact that experience had,” Henderson said in a video. “I am deeply sorry for the hurt, frustration, and the pain that resulted.” (Inampudi, 6/10)
Modern Healthcare: PBM Consolidation Grows As Smaller Rivals Struggle To Compete
The pharmacy benefit manager sector is undergoing a resorting as mergers and closures accumulate. The ranks of PBMs trying to chip away at the market dominance of UnitedHealth Group unit Optum Rx, CVS Health subsidiary CVS Caremark and Cigna division Express Scripts have been shrinking, and more transactions may be on the horizon. Smaller PBMs that market themselves as transparent alternatives to the top companies, pharmacy benefit models that bypass PBMs, and a bevy of regulations, federal mandates and state laws meant to curb abuses have been roiling the industry. (Tong, 6/10)
Becker's Hospital Review: The Emerging Healthcare Model Leaders Are Flocking To
As the link between oral health and overall wellness becomes more widely recognized among patients, healthcare leaders are looking for more ways to integrate care to enhance patient outcomes. (Portalatin, 6/10)
