The clinician shortage is hardly easy as pie and in this week's episode, the AMGA policy team unpacks why fixing it is even harder than it looks. The conversation connects two federal issues: the House Ways and Means Committee's recent hearing on the next generation of America's healthcare workforce and proposed federal student loan caps under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that could make medical education harder to finance. From GME funding and rural training gaps to the Department of Education's narrow definition of "professional degree," the team explores how federal policy shapes the healthcare workforce pipeline and what AMGA is doing about it.

In this week’s episode, the AMGA policy team break down our recently sent letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and share what Dr. Oz said during Health Care Value Week. The conversation covers the real cost of prior authorization burdens, why automated patient portal notifications are causing harm, and why Congress must act to make pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities permanent. The team also digs into the long-term decline in inflation-adjusted physician payment, the case for eliminating the outdated Medicare skilled nursing facility three-day rule, and what recent CMS moves could mean for the future of Advanced APMs and coordinated care. Hear what the administration is saying and where AMGA is pushing back.

The Trump Administration and Congress are interested in deploying artificial intelligence to improve health care. But what does that mean for providers and patients? The AMGA team turns the podcast over to Claudi.ai to outline our discussion on HHS policy, congressional action, and how providers are deploying AI.

Congress is concerned about affordability in healthcare and is looking at how administrative and regulatory complexity is contributing to higher costs. The AMGA team discussed two recent hearings on how payment instability and burdens such as prior authorization contribute to physician burnout. After the policy trio welcomes a surprise guest, they turned their attention to congressional interest in pharmacy benefit managers and where Congress might turn its attention to next.

When is Medicaid financing "money laundering" and when is it "creative financing"? The Trump administration just finalized rules that will cut $900 billion from Medicaid over the next decade—closing the "B1/B2 test loophole” and slashing State Directed Payments. In this episode, the AMGA Public Policy team unpacks two massive rule changes that are about to upend how states fund Medicaid: new restrictions on provider taxes and dramatic cuts to State Directed Payments. We're talking about these cutsaffecting everything from rural hospital survival to medical education funding. By the end, you'll understand why this isn't just about Medicaid, but about whether we're inadvertently dismantling the financial foundation of American healthcare, one policy change at a time.

What do oligopolies and "maxxxing" have in common? Health insurance executives testifying on Capitol Hill. In this episode of Filibusters and Fine Print, the AMGA Public Policy team dives deep into the explosive House hearings on healthcare affordability, breaking down what the heat on insurers really means for physicians, patients, and what's next for health policy on the Hill. Don't miss this timely analysis of the testimony everyone's talking about. Plus, Lauren returns.

This episode examines the administrative burden in American healthcare, where physicians spend an average of two full business days weekly on paperwork rather than patient care. Outdated regulations create unnecessary complexity, requiring extensive documentation for routine matters like approving basic medical equipment. In for Season 2, Episode 19, the AMGA policy team examines how this administrative waste costs billions annually while directly reducing time healthcare providers spend treating patients. The episode explores why the system has become so bureaucratic and its impact on both providers and patients.

Congress is facing another deadline of Jan. 30 to extend critical healthcare policies and programs. Join the AMGA public policy team for Season 2, Episode 17 of Filibusters and Fine Print as they add flavor to the critical healthcare extenders debate before Congress such as Medicare telehealth flexibilities, Hospital-at-Home, the GPCI floor, and Medicaid DSH cuts. This package is a little different as some of the extensions are for a few years which is longer than in past compromises, but AMGA keeps pushing for more permanent solutions. Time is ticking, Congress only has a few days before these policies face expiration and patients suffer. Additional details and all episodes are available on the AMGA website.