Tallying the AMA’s checks to the GOP

Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition:: The ideas and innovators shaping health care

Oct 06, 2023 View in browser   By Daniel Payne, Evan Peng, Carmen Paun and Erin Schumaker Presented by Kidney Care Access Coalition PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off this Monday for Indigenous Peoples' Day but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. WEEKEND READ Acting House Speaker Patrick McHenry is among the Republicans to cash an AMPAC check in the 2022 election cycle. | House Television via AP Republicans in Congress and the country’s leading lobby for doctors are at loggerheads over abortion, transgender care, climate policy, gun control and myriad other issues. But given Congress’ role in setting Medicare payment rates, the American Medical Association still needs the GOP. Daniel’s review of political contributions from the AMA’s political action committee shows how the group is trying to maintain good relations, even as it calls out Republicans for butting into medical decisions and downplaying public health threats. Money flow: In the 2021-22 cycle, AMPAC contributed nearly $350,000 to lawmakers given ratings of A or A+ by anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, according to Federal Election Commission data. Likewise, AMPAC contributed more than $26,000 to candidates who co-sponsored legislation to limit doctors’ ability to provide gender-affirming care. In the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the AMA suggested that it might withhold contributions to Republicans who voted against certifying state results for the 2020 presidential election. At the time, the group added a note to its webpage explaining that “physicians abhor violence and were shocked and dismayed” by the insurrection, adding its political action committee would “include a review of the recent electoral college certification vote and the violent attacks” when donating to campaigns for the 2022 election. But in the 2021-22 cycle, AMPAC donated more than $110,000 to candidates who voted to sustain objections to the electoral votes in the 2020 election. The group also donated $25,000 to the leadership funds of Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, who both voted to sustain objections to the election. Even so: Overall, AMPAC gave a record share of its contributions to Democrats — 61 percent, according to an analysis by Open Secrets. AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist, said that the AMA’s political action committee makes its own decisions and is led by its own board. He also said the AMA “will always stand up for the science” and the group continued to be “very effective at bringing people together” on policy matters. Dr. Brooke Buckley, AMPAC’s chair, said in an email she wasn’t permitted to speak on the issue and referred questions to the AMA.   A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition: Dialysis patients and their families are being harmed. Learn more from the Kidney Care Access Coalition.   WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Yiliang County, Yunnan, China | Evan Peng This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. We must admit that we hadn’t thought about one non-health-related benefit weight-loss drugs like Ozempic might have: saving airlines fuel. Will ticket prices drop as a result? Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Evan Peng at epeng@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp. Today on our Pulse Check podcast, host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with POLITICO New York health care reporter Maya Kaufman about the increase in tuberculosis cases in New York City — on track to reach the city's highest levels in more than a decade — and the possible implications of the spike. Listen to today’s Pulse Check podcast DANGER ZONE Canada's seen a rise in psychosis hospitalizations since legal pot shops proliferated. | Don Mackinnon/AFP via Getty Images Regulated pot sold by government-approved businesses was supposed to reduce marijuana’s dangers by ensuring users didn’t get tainted weed. But a new study found that cannabis-related hospitalizations in Canada increased after the country allowed the private sector to get involved, POLITICO’s Mona Zhang reports. How so? Researchers from the University of Ottawa, University of Southern California and other institutions examined hospitalizations in Canada from 2015 to 2021. During that time, Canada legalized cannabis and later allowed commercial businesses to sell it. The businesses were also granted permission to sell edibles, vape pens and concentrates in addition to the pot flower that users roll into joints or smoke in bongs. The staggered timeline, as well as differing regulatory approaches at the provincial level, offered researchers a unique opportunity learn thow cannabis’ retail policies impacted public health. How did they? Over the seven years, researchers found a nearly twofold increase in cannabis-related hospitalizations. A variety of reasons accounted for hospital visits, including acute intoxication, harmful use, dependence, withdrawal and poisoning, but the largest relative spike was in cannabis-induced psychosis. Even so: Canada’s weed industry took root during the pandemic, making it difficult to separate the public health effects of commercialization from any changes in hospitalization rates due to Covid-19. But researchers think pot commercialization contributed to the increases because they didn’t see similar bumps for other drugs.   A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition:     GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.     CHECKUP DEA Administrator Anne Milgram says her agency is considering public feedback on telemedicine prescribing. | AP More patients can get their prescriptions via telemedicine, at least through the end of next year, POLITICO’s Ben Leonard reports. That’s because the Drug Enforcement Administration announced Friday that it would permit continued telemedicine prescribing of the drugs it regulates for all patients through 2024. It had previously planned to begin restricting telemedicine prescriptions next month. Why it matters: The DEA permitted virtual prescribing during the pandemic but has signaled concern about overprescribing of controlled substances by virtual care doctors. Before Friday’s announcement, it had planned to require in-person visits for new patients starting next month and for existing patients a year later, in November 2024. But the agency is under pressure to back off, having received tens of thousands of comments urging it to retain greater access to telemedicine prescriptions. A broad swath of common medications fall under the DEA’s purview, including Adderall to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Oxycontin for pain relief, and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. What’s next? The agency said it plans to issue new “standards or safeguards” by fall 2024.   A message from Kidney Care Access Coalition: Employer health plans can now discriminate against patients with kidney failure. Prevent that tragedy.  Congress: Restore what’s right – protect dialysis patients and their families. Learn more from the Kidney Care Access Coalition.     DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.       Follow us on Twitter Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker Evan Peng @thepngfile   Follow us

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