The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates met in June to discuss and vote on the latest round of proposed resolutions aimed at guiding AMA's policies on key medical, ethical and public health issues.

The House of Delegates, which meets twice a year, is comprised of roughly 700 physicians representing every state and every specialty organization in the country, including the ACC and the broader House of Cardiology.

"The AMA is unique among medical societies in that it represents clinicians across all specialties and stages of practice, making it a strong unified voice for the entire House of Medicine," said David E. Winchester, MD, MS, FACC, chair of ACC's Board of Governors and one of the College's nine AMA delegates.

Among the hundreds of resolutions considered over the course of the five-day meeting, delegates discussed clinically appropriate roles for use of AI in patient care, Medicare and Medicaid payment reform, prior authorization, safe and effective vaccination practices, and novel payment models aimed at preserving rural hospitals.

"Key outcomes included the adoption of policies ensuring the safe integration of health AI tools, the elevation of obesity as a public health priority, and a strong stance against recent federal actions affecting vaccine advisory committees and NIH restructuring," said Kim Allan Williams Sr., MD, MACC, past ACC president and an ACC delegate. "Additionally, the AMA reaffirmed its commitment to Medicare payment reform, reducing physician burnout, and preserving Medicaid access."

The ACC and the broader House of Cardiology also helped move resolutions focused on improving public awareness of lung cancer screening and coronary artery disease in chronic smokers, as well as directing the AMA to study and define principles for board certifying bodies.

"The latter of these resolutions was in response to the recent denial of a new Board of Cardiovascular Medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties," said ACC Delegate and Cardiovascular Disease Section Council Chair Jerry D. Kennett, MD, MACC. "The ACC along with our partner cardiovascular societies now have 18 votes in the AMA House of Delegates which provides us significant influence on policy the AMA adopts."

Ultimately, the decisions made at the House of Delegates will serve in directing AMA's advocacy priorities and goals. In areas where these priorities overlap with the goals of the ACC and the broader cardiovascular community, the voice of medicine will be even stronger, according to Winchester.

Keywords: ACC Advocacy