American Medical Association News

Physician Group Asks US to Make Funds Available to Doctors Hurt by Change Hack

Influential U.S. doctors’ group the American Medical Association (AMA) on Monday asked the Biden Administration to make emergency funds available to physicians hurt by ongoing problems created by the hack of UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit. The AMA said the cyberattack …

Inmates at Arkansas Jail Unaware They Were Given Anti-Parasite Drug to Treat COVID-19

inmates at a northwest Arkansas jail said they weren’t told a medication they were given to treat COVID-19 was actually an anti-parasite drug that federal health officials have warned should not be used to treat the coronavirus. Three inmates at …

Medical Association Calls for Immediate Ban on All E-Cigarettes, Vaping Devices

The American Medical Association has called for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. The group adopted the sweeping stance at a policy-making meeting in San Diego. It aims to lobby for state and federal laws, regulations …

Medical Association Calls for Americans to Stop Vaping as Illnesses, Deaths Rise

The American Medical Association on Monday urged Americans to stop using electronic cigarettes of any sort until scientists have a better handle on the cause of 450 lung illnesses and at least five deaths related to the use of the …

Doctors, Insurer Propose Tracking Patients’ ‘Social Conditions’ for Referrals

If you get struck by lightning or bitten by a pig, a physician can record that information with a code shorter than your phone number. But if you can’t afford your bills, doctors and health plans have no consistent way …

Vermont Lawmakers Seek to Eliminate Insurance Pre-Authorization

Vermont legislators are seeking to ban insurance companies or Medicaid from requiring pre-authorization before approving medication-assisted treatment. Democratic Rep. Ann Pugh tells The Times Argus she wants to remove any barriers between someone with a substance use disorder and treatment. …

Latest Edition of AMA Guides Lowers Impairment Ratings in Workers’ Compensation

For workers injured at work, the amount of compensation they receive depends on which edition of the medical guidelines on evaluating impairments is used. The American Medical Association (AMA) Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment is used in workers’ …

Explaining Medical Errors Cut Liability Claims 66%: Georgia State Research

Hospital staff and physicians who are willing to explain, apologize for and resolve adverse medical events significantly reduce legal defense and liability costs, according to a study led by Dr. Florence R. LeCraw, an Atlanta anesthesiologist and adjunct professor at …

American Medical Association Claims CVS-Aetna Merger Will Hike Drug Prices

The American Medical Association, which represents U.S. physicians, urged the U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday to stop CVS Health Corp.’s plan to buy insurance provider Aetna Inc., saying the deal could result in higher prices for prescription medicines. The AMA …

For U.S. Doctors, Being Sued Is Common Ailment

Getting sued is not an uncommon event for physicians. More than a third of physicians (34 percent) have had a claim filed against them at some point in their careers. Also, according to research from the American Medical Association (AMA), …