Heart of Health Policy | Key Takeaways From AMA House of Delegates, More
Key Takeaways From AMA House of Delegates
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 the 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 safety and clinically appropriate roles for use of artificial intelligence (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 [National Institutes of Health] 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 the 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.
House Call on the Mall: ACC Leaders Engage With Key Senators
ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC, and HeartPAC Vice Chair Andrew R. Waxler, MD, FACC, met with several senators during this year's House Call on the Mall, an annual event organized by the GOP Doctors Caucus where medical specialty societies can make their voices heard and work together to shape the future of health policy.
Kramer and Waxler connected with more than 30 lawmakers throughout the day, including Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Mark Warner (D-VA). These meetings were focused on communicating ACC's position on the proposed changes to Medicaid and the student loan program included in the reconciliation package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The ACC has continued to urge federal lawmakers to protect Medicaid access and oppose proposed caps on student loan borrowing for medical and dental students, signing onto a joint letter to Senate leadership requesting "key improvements that are necessary to avoid further strain on physician practices, safeguard access to medical education, and prevent potential coverage losses for vulnerable populations."
During a medical specialty meeting with the full caucus, Kramer highlighted the meaningful work ACC's NCDR is doing to leverage patient data to improve quality of care as well as other ACC Advocacy priorities like Medicare payment reform solutions and pathways to achieve value-based care.
Hundreds of cardiovascular clinicians will return to Capitol Hill this fall to participate in ACC Legislative Conference 2025. Join the ACC Advocacy team in advancing legislative solutions to shape cardiovascular care for the better from Oct. 5 to 7 in Washington, DC. Visit ACC.org/LegislativeConference to learn more and register.
Your ACC: Fighting For Medical Research Funding
- The College signed onto a multigroup letter in response to the announced changes to National Institutes of Health (NIH) F&A caps, calling for stable NIH funding.
- ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC, testified before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies, highlighting the critical need for robust NIH funding.
- In advance of a Senate Appropriations hearing dedicated to biomedical research and innovation, the ACC submitted a statement for the record.
- The ACC joined an FY 2026 funding recommendation sign-on letter that emphasized support for increased funding for the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- The College also joined an Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research coalition letter addressed to NIH Director Jay Battacharya, inviting him to join the coalition for a discussion about NIH and coalition member priorities.
- As lawmakers work to pass FY 2026 funding, the ACC submitted outside witness testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging senators to increase funding for the NIH and CDC.
The ACC Advocacy team will continue to push for policies that champion access to care for all. See more ways the College is addressing this key priority.
ACC Submits Comments on FY 2026 IPPS Proposed Rule
The ACC submitted written comments to the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. Notable topics covered in the comment letter include:
- Support for newly proposed Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRG) for percutaneous coronary atherectomy to better align reimbursement with cost.
- Requesting new MS-DRGs to address concomitant single valve procedures with open surgical ablations.
- Support for inclusion of Medicare Advantage data into the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
- Opposing the proposed elimination of several health equity and social drivers of health measures in the Inpatient Quality Reporting system and Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM).
- Suggested adjustments to TEAM, such as requesting a required referral following CABG be made to the treating cardiologist instead of the patient's primary care provider.
- Several comments on digital transition, patient information security and Medicare interoperability, including urging more time for the transition to Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standards for electronic clinical quality measures.
2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Watch
As this issue of Cardiology went to print, ACC Advocacy staff were on the lookout for the release of the proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Access key highlights from the proposed rule on ACC.org/Advocacy.
Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, Medicaid, American Medical Association, Public Health, Medicare, Artificial Intelligence, Health Policy, Prior Authorization, ACC Advocacy, Legislative Conference, Biomedical Research, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S., Cardiologists, Health Equity, Prospective Payment System
