States' Medical Advocate Associations Set 2026 Priorities

The American Medical Association's Advocacy Resource Center conducted a survey of states' medical societies. The results included 64 organizations in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The 2026 policy initiatives are:

• 89% identified scope of practice as the top priority. Medical societies anticipate legislation pushed by a variety of non-physicians seeking independent practice, prescriptive authority, and the unsupervised diagnosis and treatment of patients.

• 72% stated that they will be deeply engaged in Medicaid legislation, regulation, or both with priorities including physician reimbursement, funding and financing stability, redetermination and coverage continuity, payment models, managed care reform, and implementing new federally required community engagement and work requirements.

• 67% identify physician workforce as a priority emphasizing expanding residency positions, securing graduate medical education (GME) funding, resident retention programs, and alternative GME funding models.

• 67% deem medical licensure issues as a top priority including additional licensing pathways for internationally trained and practicing physicians, adopting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, and licensure flexibility for cross-state care via telehealth.

• Public health is also a focus item in 2026. Thirty-three states and four national medical specialty societies are focusing on vaccination policy, reproductive health, tobacco and e-cigarettes, and end-of-life care.

For more information on other policy initiative in 20216, click here.