ISASS and other Physician Specialty Societies met in Chicago from June 8-12, as part of the annual AMA House of Delegates convention.  The AMA House of Delegates is the AMA’s policy-making body and consists of specialty and state societies and other physician stakeholders. The more than 500 voting delegates selected by their member organizations are charged with establishing broad policy on health, medical, professional and AMA governance issues.

Members of the House of Delegates include state medical associations, the five federal services, national medical specialty societies and professional interest medical associations, sections and groups. ISASS is considered a national medical specialty society in the House of Delegates and participates in the Specialty and Service Society (SSS) Caucus, the largest caucus in the House, as well as other coalitions such as the Orthopaedic Section Council and the Mobility Council. Morgan Lorio, MD, FACS serves as the ISASS delegate to the House of Delegates.

The House of Delegates considered numerous reports and resolutions on issues such as the impact of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) on patient care, and the proposed merger of PBMs with private insurance companies such as Aetna; health system improvements; improving Medicare payment rates for physicians; site of service payment differentials; fee transparency; surprise billing; the proliferation of prior authorization entities and restrictions; opioid prescription and management; elimination of CMS payment penalties related to readmissions; efforts to allow physicians to collectively bargain with payers, and many other practice and patient care issues.

Elections were held during the meeting resulting in the following slate of AMA officers:

President: Patrice Harris, MD, MA

President Elect: Susan Bailey, MD

Immediate Past President: Barbara A. McAneny, MD

Speaker of the HOD: Bruce Scott, MD

Vice Speaker of the HOD: Lisa Bohman Egbert, MD

Chair of the Board of Trustees: Jessie M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH

Also, announced as an elected member of the Board of Trustrees was Michael Suk MD, MPH, MBA, JD, an orthopaedic surgeon from Danville, PA and chair of the Mobility Caucus.

Learn more about the House of Delegates Annual Meeting here.