Arizona Physicians Represented During AMA House of Delegates Meeting

September 3, 2026

Artificial Intelligence, Prior Authorization, & More Discussed at AMA's 2026 Annual Meeting & House of Delegates

The Arizona Medical Association's full American Medical Association delegation, led by Dr. Ronnie Dowling and including Drs. Addis, Baltazar, Figge, Jasser, Kazi, Leib, and Rejbi, along with 135th President Dr. Nachbar, represented Arizona physicians at the 2026 AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The House of Delegates worked through hundreds of resolutions this year, and several outcomes carry direct implications for how Arizona physicians practice and get paid.


Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Delegates drew a clear line on AI: it can support clinical decision-making, but it cannot replace physician judgment. The AMA adopted policy requiring medical staff oversight of AI tools used in healthcare settings and moved to prohibit the independent practice of medicine by AI programs altogether. Delegates also took aim at insurers using AI to adjudicate prior authorizations, pushing for real accountability.


Prior Authorization and Physician Accountability

That accountability push extends further. Physicians who conduct prior authorization reviews for insurers will now be pressed to disclose their name, specialty, and National Provider Identifier, and to hold the same state licensure as the physicians whose care they're reviewing. The AMA also moved to eliminate the term "provider" when referring to physicians, aiming to reduce confusion for patients trying to understand who is actually treating them.


Physician Autonomy and Practice Control

Physician autonomy over how practices operate was a major theme. New policy affirms that physicians have the right to decline or modify patient volume expectations and staffing conditions when those conditions compromise patient care, outside of true emergencies. The AMA will also advocate for legislation ensuring that scheduling protocols, workload standards, and staffing models are driven by local physicians based on clinical need, not productivity targets. A related resolution pushed back on hospital and health system consolidation trends, opposing the use of dividend recapitalization by private equity and non-physician entities looking to recoup acquisition costs from physician practices.


Payment and Administrative Burden

The House adopted several resolutions physicians will feel directly. These include support for repealing the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, opposition to fees on electronic funds transfers, opposition to virtual credit cards as a legal HIPAA payment method, and a shift toward requiring patients to opt in to medication refill requests rather than being auto-enrolled. Delegates also passed policy opposing insurer denials based solely on which clinician made the referral, and pushed for legislation letting small practices opt out of mandatory value-based payment models.


Medical Education and Rural Maternal Health

Medical education saw one significant Arizona-relevant resolution addressing maternal health access in rural areas. The resolution supports expanding both OB-GYN training in shortage areas and family practice obstetric care where practitioners are properly trained and privileged, along with increased funding for physicians who provide care in designated Maternity Care Target Areas. Given the shortage of obstetric care in Arizona's rural communities, this is a meaningful first step.


Public Health, Nutrition, and Environmental Policy

Public health and preventive medicine made up the largest volume of adopted policy this year, covering more than 45 reports and resolutions. Highlights include expanded coverage for lung cancer and colorectal screening, continued support for HIV prevention and post-exposure prophylaxis, restoration of evidence-based COVID-19 vaccination guidance for pregnant patients and children, and a strong stance against raw milk consumption. The AMA also expanded its focus on nutrition, backing reform of federal agricultural subsidies, medically tailored meal programs, and reduced harmful food additives. Environmental health picked up new attention too, with policy addressing wildfire toxic exposure, aviation pollution, and physician education on the health effects of climate change.


Immigration Enforcement and Political Advocacy

A few resolutions touched on politically sensitive ground. Delegates adopted policy supporting physicians' ability to attend conferences, complete training, or provide care without interference from immigration enforcement, except where a valid judicial order applies. A related resolution called for AMA study of how current legislation affects healthcare access for undocumented individuals. And in a notable moment, delegates made clear they want the AMA to take a firmer stance with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly as changes to the vaccine schedule and Medicaid funding cuts continue to draw concern from physicians nationally.


Leadership Election

Delegates also elected Dr. Sandra Fryhofer as AMA President-elect, signaling that many physicians want the organization to prioritize public health integrity and patient access over purely financial considerations in the current political environment.


Section Meetings

Beyond the House floor, ArMA's own Dr. Jasser led the Private Physicians Section meeting, which covered ERISA preemption and revenue cycle management strategies for independent practices. The Organization of State Medical Association Presidents also met, with a notable session on physician collective bargaining, a trend that continues to grow even as it remains legally distinct from striking.


Why This Matters for Arizona Physicians

What all of this makes clear is that the issues Arizona physicians deal with every day, from prior authorization delays to staffing pressure to the growing role of AI in clinical decisions, are the same issues being shaped at the national level through the AMA House of Delegates. ArMA's delegation doesn't just attend these meetings. It's how Arizona physicians get a seat at the table and a real vote on the policies that will affect how they practice for years to come. Without that representation, decisions get made without Arizona's input.


If you want your voice included in that process, the most direct way to do it is to be an ArMA member. Membership is what funds and empowers this delegation to advocate on your behalf in Chicago and beyond.


If you aren't already an ArMA member, please consider joining our organization. You can learn more about membership and the benefits it grants you access to on our webpage here.

Arizona Prison Health Care Oversight Moves Forward

By Admin User • October 2, 2026
State Attorneys Denied Emergency Stay on Court-ordered Receivership of Prison Health Care System The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied Arizona's last-ditch effort to temporarily halt a court-ordered takeover of health care operations and management within state-run prisons. Without an emergency stay of the court's order, Arizona's Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Re-entry must turn over the management of its health care operations for roughly 25,000 incarcerated people to Annette Chambers-Smith, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, beginning on October 19. Roots of the Case The dispute began in 2012 when inmates sued the department, alleging the prison system's inadequate medical, mental health, and dental care amounted to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. The case went through years of litigation and a failed settlement agreement. In 2023, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver ruled that the health care system was "grossly inadequate." The court ordered the prison healthcare system to comply with more than 150 "quality indicators," but according to court-appointed monitors, the department failed to comply with 131 of the measures. In light of this finding, Silver mandated that health care in Arizona prisons would be overseen by Annette Chambers-Smith, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, to take over as receiver effective Oct. 19. A Last-Ditch Appeal Attorneys for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay a court-ordered receivership of the state's prison health care system. The request came after both a federal district court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause the takeover. In the application, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a representative of the department, argued that the state deserves more time to make its case before surrendering control of its operations, including oversight of its employees and health care budget. Arguments on Both Sides Clement argues receivership should have been the last resort and that Silver moved to it too quickly. He asserted that the department made measurable progress, including growing its health care staffing by more than 50%, expanding substance-use treatment access, and adopting a new care model. Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Prison Project, which represents the roughly 25,000 people incarcerated in Arizona prisons, called the department's request a "Hail Mary" and said Silver gave the department years of opportunities to comply before ordering receivership. What Happens Next Health care for thousands of incarcerated people will be managed under Chambers-Smith's oversight, as mandated by Silver, beginning on Oct. 19. The receivership affects all nine of Arizona's state-run prisons but will not impact health care for inmates in private facilities. Information in this article was sourced from the Arizona Mirror and Arizona's Family .

CMS Releases 2025 MIPS Final Scores — Physicians Have 60 Days to Contest

By Admin User • October 2, 2026
Eligible clinicians and group practices can request a targeted review of their final score before 2027 payment adjustments take effect. Final Scores Are Out, Adjustments Follow in About a Month The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released Merit-based Incentive Payment System performance feedback and final scores for the 2025 performance year. The 2025 final score determines the payment adjustment eligible clinicians and group practices will receive in 2027, and 2027 MIPS payment adjustments will be available in approximately one month. If an eligible clinician or group practice believes CMS calculated their final score or 2027 payment adjustment incorrectly, they must file a targeted review with CMS within 60 days. How the Targeted Review Window Works The targeted review window opened with the release of final scores and will close 30 days after the release of MIPS payment adjustments. CMS will announce the release of payment adjustments through the QPP listserv in approximately one month. CMS generally requires documentation to support a targeted review request, which varies by circumstance, and a CMS representative will contact applicants about any specific documentation required. If a targeted review request is approved and results in a scoring change, CMS will update the final score and, if applicable, the associated payment adjustment as soon as technically feasible. Common Reasons to File a Targeted Review Data were submitted under the wrong Tax Identification Number or National Provider Identifier. The clinician has Qualifying APM Participant status and shouldn't receive a MIPS payment adjustment. Performance categories weren't automatically reweighted despite qualifying for reweighting due to extreme and uncontrollable circumstances. How to Request a Targeted Review Sign in at qpp.cms.gov using HARP credentials, or ACO-MS credentials for Shared Savings Program ACOs — the same credentials used to submit 2025 MIPS data. Then click "Targeted Review" in the left-hand navigation. Source: American Medical Association, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Quality Payment Program