CHICAGO -- The AMA will bolster their political advocacy efforts, recognize presurgical transgender birth certificates, and support insurance coverage of young pregnant women and newborns.
Those initiatives were approved by the AMA's House of Delegates (HOD) in votes here.
A resolution proposed by the Florida delegation to boost the AMA's advocacy efforts in Congress received strong support among delegates. Florida asked for independent review of AMA lobbying efforts, but the house opted instead for a board of trustees review with a report back to the house. Supporters included the Pacific Rim caucus, the Texas and New York delegations, and, perhaps most enthusiastically, the AMPAC president, John Poole, MD, who said "If you're in medicine, you're in politics."
No voices stood in opposition to revamping the AMA's approach to advocacy and lobbying in Washington.
"Today's resolution will provide the AMA with a new and enhanced opportunity to communicate with the House of Delegates and the broader physician community about the work we are doing on their behalf to advance physician interests with lawmakers and policymakers," immediate past chair of the board of trustees, David Barbe, MD, told 51˶ in an email.
"In addition to our successful efforts to advance SGR repeal to the point of bipartisan, bicameral support on policy for Medicare payment and delivery reform, the AMA has also achieved notable successes and shaped policy on meaningful use, achieved suspension of [Recovery Audit Contractor], and streamlined quality reporting under [the] Physician Quality Reporting System, among many other activities to reduce regulatory burden on physicians, and we look forward to building on these efforts in the coming year," Barbe said.
Transgendered Birth Certificate Resolution
A board of trustees report on birth certificate gender assignments for presurgical transgendered individuals, originally brought forth in 2013 by the Resident and Fellow Section, was adopted by majority vote in the HOD.
Several delegates voiced concerns over medico-legal ramifications for presurgical transgendered assignments on official documents with regard to insurance coverage, vital statistics, reproductive and preventive care, and potential for abuse.
However, the house concluded that a patient's official gender classification falls under the purview of the physician-patient relationship and not the current standard in many states, which requires proof of surgery to change gender assignment on a person's birth certificate.
A delegate from the Resident and Fellow Section said, "This is something that's already happening and we need to take a stand on this. The best medical practice involves appropriate care." And a delegate from the gay and lesbian caucus said, "[This issue] needs to be taken away from lawmakers and put back into the hands of physicians who treat the patients."
Insurance for Young Mothers and Newborns
Based on 2013 data, which reported that the average age for a women to have her first child was 25.7, the AMA's HOD voted into action a resolution to expand the Affordable Care Act to cover young, pregnant women who are at risk for losing their parent's insurance when they turn 26.
In addition, the resolution proposed 60 days of insurance to cover all infants born to women under 26 who are dependent on their parent's insurance coverage.