AMWA Advocacy

2023

September 27, 2023 – AMWA Issues Statement on Abortion Bans and Impact on Treatment for Pregnancy Complications. Lawsuits in Idaho, Tennessee, and Oklahoma highlight significant gaps in the medical care of pregnant women where restrictive state bans may limit treatment for a pregnancy complications, as practitioners are fearful of violating the law. Yet we know that medicine is not a perfect science. It can be impossible to identify the exact time when a patient’s condition shifts from stable to life-threatening, at which time, an abortion might then be legal. One need only review cases presented during morbidity and mortality rounds to know that physicians can’t reliably make those predictions. As one plaintiff stated, “It’s not safe to be pregnant in Oklahoma.” These cases reinforce the fact that the question of whether an abortion should or should not be performed is not just a religious, political, or ideological question. It is a medical question.

“As a physician practicing in Tennessee, I have witnessed the immense stress my colleagues have been burdened with, trying to care for their pregnant patients while ensuring they are not breaking the law. It’s a difficult position to be placed in, to know the correct treatment for your patient but to be unable to provide evidence based, compassionate healthcare to someone having a pregnancy complication. I applaud the bravery of the physicians and patients bringing light to the heartbreaking situations they have faced and I will continue to advocate for comprehensive reproductive healthcare access in every state.” – Katrina Green, MD, Co-chair of the AMWA advocacy committee.

AMWA President, Elizabeth Garner, MD, MPH concurred. “These cases highlight the challenges that physicians face when trying to navigate the complexities of patient care within constraints of these laws, often having to make decisions that are not the standard of care and risking charges of malpractice in order to comply with the law.”

September 26, 2023 – AMWA Warns that a Government Shutdown Will Harm Patients. A government shutdown by Congress will have far reaching impacts on the healthcare of communities across the country, particularly among under-resourced communities that rely on federal aid  In addition, a shutdown would affect the infrastructure of our transportation systems, agricultural supplies, public safety, national security, and more. A recent White House analysis showed the devastating impact on the WIC program, if this were to occur. The state-by-state breakdown of the number of women, infants, and children at risk of losing critical nutrition assistance totaled more than 6.6 million.

AMWA urges Congress to find consensus on legislation that will avert a government shutdown and preserve essential funding to vital health programs providing aid to the most vulnerable. Our patients deserve no less.

September 22, 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter urging Gov Gavin Newsome to sign SB 541 into law, which would support youth health and wellness, promote health equity, and curb STI transmission among California youth by providing free condoms in public high schools.

September 20, 2023 – AMWA supports Congressional resolution on September cholesterol education month and September 30 as LDL Awareness Day

September 20, 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to Congressional Appropriators, urging Congress to include sufficient resources in a short-term Continuing Resolution to ensure that WIC can continue providing all eligible women, infants, and children who seek to participate with the full, science-based nutrition benefit. The letter also calls on Congress to fully fund WIC for fiscal year 2024 to sustain current benefits and increasing participation.

September 19, 2023 – AMWA joined with the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) in a call with the CDC to discuss the RSV vaccination recommendations under the current shared decision making model.

September 18, 2023 – AMWA writes letter of support to California State Legislators in support of California SB345 that would establish a shield law in California, protecting practitioners who provide reproductive healthcare, including telehealth, to patients from states with restrictive bans.

September 18, 2023 – AMWA joins with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative and other organizations, sending a letter encouraging the U.S. Congress to place a notice about lung cancer screening on cigarette packages.

September 14, 2023 – AMWA joins The ABC3 Coalition to endorse the National Roadmap for Disability-Inclusive

September 12, 2023 – AMWA joins G02 supporting bills S.2245 and H.R.4534, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2023

September 6, 2023 – AMWA signs on to Washington Post Ad Campaign with Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Heart Association, and other groups in support of the proposed rules to prohibit menthol cigarettes and favored cigars.

September 2023 – AMWA sends letters to Congress expressing concerns with the CY 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule as published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2023 for missing an opportunity to dramatically increase patient and provider access to non-opioid pain management approaches and, in the process, prevent opioid addiction.

September 2023 – AMWA signs on to LEAD Coalition letter asking Congress to pass the CHANGE Act (S.2379 / H.R.4752) to improve dementia detection

August 29, 2023 – AMWA signs on toe a letter urging CMS to accelerate the use of non-opioid pain management approaches in outpatient surgery settings.

August 30, 2023 – AMWA joins the First Focus on Children and the Children’s Defense Fund in supporting the Child Poverty Reduction Act which would establish a national child poverty reduction target in the United States, setting an official goal to cut child poverty in half within a decade.

August 10, 2023 – AMWA sends letter of support for Assembly Bill 1028. This important legislation will modernize California’s medical mandated reporting law for adult violent injuries to better ensure safety and healthcare access for survivors of domestic, sexual, and interpersonal violence.

August 10, 2023 – AMWA sends letters to US Senate Joint Economic Commission members, urging the coverage of medications for the treatment of obesity and supports the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)

August 7, 2023 – Gun violence has been the leading cause of death of children in America since 2020, making it a public health crisis. AMWA endorses the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force call for a vote in support of gun violence prevention legislation.

August 2023 – AMWA sends letter to the Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asking to work in partnership to ensure older Americans remain a priority when it comes to the prevention and treatment of illness and disease

July 26, 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting an amendment that would strike down a provision in the FY-24 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that would undermine access to mifepristone.

July 16, 2023 – To enforce gender equity through legislation, AMWA endorses the ERA Now Resolution introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (with a companion resolution introduced by Congresswoman Cori Bush) to affirm the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.

July 2023 – AMWA supported the South Asian Heart Health Research and Awareness Act, being reintroduced by Congresswoman Jayapal in the House

July 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter opposing attacks on medication abortion in House Appropriations bill

June 29, 2023 – AMWA sends letter to California legislators in support of SB 345 which will help ensure the availability of abortion and gender affirming care by providing additional protections to providers who prescribe or dispense medication abortion, provide other reproductive health care services, or provide gender affirming care regardless of where their patients live.

June 28, 2023 – AMWA signs in support for LaRose v. King County in the Washington State Court of Appeals, filed by the National Women’s Law Center, regarding workplace harassment standards.

June 28, 2023 – AMWA joined more than 360 LEAD Coalition member organizations and allies sent a joint letter to Congress reiterating support for dementia-focused FY 2024 appropriations priorities communicated earlier this year by the health, aging, and science advocacy community

June 28, 2023 – AMWA signs on with the many other medical organizations to the Democracy Forward Foundation amicus curiae brief in the Fifth Circuit in support of the motion for stay pending appeal in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra, regarding the repercussions that a nationwide stay could have on the availability of no-cost preventive care under the Affordable Care Act.

June 26, 2023 – AMWA endorses the updated Position Statement on Nonhormone therapy for treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause, published by the North American Menopause Society.

June 24, 2023 – AMWA joins a rally in Charlotte, NC with Vice President Kamala Harris on the one year anniversary of the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade.

June 23, 2023 – AMWA endorses President Biden’s Executive Order on Strengthening Access to Contraception. Read the entire Executive Order

On the eve of the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, President Biden issues an important and timely Executive Order that focuses on expanding access to affordable contraception as a critical element of reproductive care. AMWA champions this 3-pronged effort to address a growing concern for individuals who currently use contraceptives throughout the United States. It’s important to emphasize that while the majority of individuals rely on contraception for family planning, there are other medical indications for the use of  these modalities.

The order identifies actions in several critical ways:

  • Seeking to assure that every Food and Drug Administration-approved, -granted, or -cleared contraceptives and the care needed to obtain contraception is covered both by private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (with no cost sharing) and through improved coverage of all federally-funded programs and to expand access to over-the-counter contraceptives, thereby reducing barriers that women face in accessing contraception.
  • Sharing best practices with employers and institutions of higher education to assure that employees and students are aware of their options to obtain contraception.
  • Promoting expansion of research and data analysis to identify  gaps and disparities in contraception access and the benefits of comprehensive coverage

June 22, 2022 – AMWA signed onto amicus brief for LaRose v. King County, filed by the National Women’s Law Center regarding workplace harassment standards

June 14, 2023 – AMWA submits comments on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Obesity Research Plan that advocate for more increase access to obesity therapeutics.

June 8, 2023 – AMWA joins over 240 LEAD Coalition member organizations and allies in a joint public comment letter to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expressing strong support for inclusion of the Geriatrics Hospital Measure and the Geriatrics Surgical Measure in the CMS Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program (proposed rule CMS-1785-P)

June 2023 – AMWA sends letter supporting California SB345 (Skinner), being heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, will help ensure the availability of abortion and gender affirming care by providing additional protections to providers who prescribe or dispense medication abortion, provide other reproductive health care services, or provide gender affirming care regardless of where their patients live

June 2023 – AMWA signs on with the many other medical organizations to the Democracy Forward Foundation amicus curiae brief in the Fifth Circuit in support of the motion for stay pending appeal in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra, regarding the repercussions that a nationwide stay could have on the availability of no-cost preventive care under the Affordable Care Act.

June 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to the FDA advisory committee about its review of lecanemab

June 2023 – AMWA endorses the Right to Contraception Act reintroduced on June 14 to protect the federal right to contraception and the information made available for individuals to make safe, informed decisions about their reproductive health.

June 2023 – AMWA signs with Trust For America’s Health in endorsement of the Improving the Social Determinants of Health Act being reintroduced in the 118th Congress.

June 2023 – AMWA observes June as Gun Violence Awareness Month and acknowledges the importance of physician advocacy in the prevention of firearm related harm, both in and outside the exam room. Gun violence is a public health crisis and AMWA supports a multipronged evidence informed approach, including research, education, and legislative advocacy. As physicians and medical students from an array of backgrounds and practicing in a multitude of specialties, AMWA members routinely care for patients impacted by gun violence and are in a unique position to advocate for improved health and safety of communities, from rural to urban, throughout the United States.

May 12, 2023 – AMWA sends letter to Senators in support of Nationnal Fentanyl Awareness Week highlighting AMWA’s work in addressing counterfeit drugs and the opioid addiction crisis.

May 2023 – AMWA joins the Campaign Against Assault Weapons through the Newtown Action Alliance and signs the letter to President Biden and members of Congress asking for a federal ban on military-style semi-automatic assault weapons.

May 2023 – AMWA signs on to the Coalition for Human Needs letter asking Congress to say NO to cuts to the social safety net, including SNAP benefits, the WIC program, Medicaid, Head Start, childcare, substance use disorder treatment, and mental health programs.

May 2023 – AMWA supports over the counter (OTC) progestin-only hormonal contraception in the U.S. without a prescription to improve reproductive care of women and those capable of becoming pregnant and asks the FDA to approve its use.

May 2023 – AMWA supports the Senate reintroducing National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9, aligning with our important work in raising awareness of counterfeit drugs and addressing opioid addiction in women.

May 2023 – AMWA supports the resolution of the American College of Radiology (ACR) to oppose any government regulation or legislative action that would criminalize physicians and other medical imaging professionals for providing evidence-based medical care within the scope of their training, professional judgment, and nationally recognized professional practice guidelines.

May 2023 – AMWA joined an amicus brief concerning the parameters of workplace civil rights protections, specifically for survivors or other victims of harassment in connection with third party harassers

May 2023 – AMWA joins the LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease) in letter to CMS supporting the addition of geriatric medicine and surgical quality measures for hospitals.

May 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to Congress opposing cuts to non-defense discretionary appropriations – cuts that would harm funding for many public health programs including ones at HRSA

May 2023 – AMWA signs on to Healthy Women and HPV Cancers Alliance letter to the White House on its relaunched Cancer Moonshot effort regarding the essential importance of the HPV vaccine to cervical cancer reduction.

May 2023 – AMWA signs on to the Alliance for Women’s Health & Prevention (AWHP) letter asking the Administration to do everything possible to defend, preserve and protect key preventive services coverage including screenings for cancer and other chronic diseases, as well as certain pregnancy care services

April 28, 2023 – AMWA joins amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit Court to maintain the ACA’s preventive care coverage requirements

April 19, 2023 – AMWA signs onto a letter expressing support for the H.R. 2474, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act. This bipartisan legislation advances the ongoing need to provide financial stability to physician practices in order to preserve access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.

April 19, 2023 – AMWA signs on to this year’s Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Research Roundtable FY 2024 appropriations letter. The letter calls on Congress to provide $35m for CDC and $25m for NIH, and for the first time calls for Congress to continue the $1m at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for this critical research.

April 13, 2023 – AMWA signs on to a letter to US Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations leaders requesting $100 million for the CDC’s Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) program to ensure that public health departments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations are properly supported to address the social determinants of health in their communities.

April 7, 2023 — AMWA strongly opposes the Texas decision to suspect FDA approval of mifepristone.

April 3, 2023 – AMWA joins an amicus brief in the Fourth Circuit in support of a trans student denied the ability to participate in school sports teams that correspond to her gender identity as a result of a newly adopted law in West Virginia

April 3, 2023 – AMWA joins amicus brief with the 5th Circuit in support of FDA’s approval of the use of mifepristone to end a pregnancy through ten weeks gestation

April 2023 – AMWA joins UsAgainstAlzheimer in asking Congress to adequately support the Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program

April 2023 – AMWA has joined the coalition of medical organizations endorsing the Congressional Hepatitis Caucus in reintroducing the resolution designating April 30th as National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day.

April 2023 – AMWA joins a nonpartisan coalition to support a reasonable response to the gun violence in Tennessee, signing onto a letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and members of the TN General Assembly, urging the passage of gun safety legislation.

March 23, 2023 – AMWA joins an appropriations request letter asking for $10.5 billion in HRSA discretionary funding in FY 2024

March 15, 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to Congress supporting anticipated MedPAC recommendation to highlight the urgent need to pass legislation that provides for an annual inflation-based payment update for physicians based on the full MEI

March 2023 – AMWA is signing on to the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge. By signing on, AMWA commits to emissions reduction and climate resilience goals.

March 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to lead appropriators in Congress seeking an adequate share of funding for Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations in FY 2024

March 2023 – AMWA signs on to a fiscal year 2024 appropriations funding letter to support funding of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)

March 2023 – AMWA joins coalition to safeguard public health by signing a letter of support for SB 616, a bill to require California employers to provide 7 paid sick days per year.

March 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter to fund the Title V Maternal & Child Health Block Grant at $1 billion in FY24

March 2023 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting funding the CDC surveillance for emerging threats to mothers and babies (SET-NET) program at $100 million in FY24

March 2023 – AMWA sent letter supporting the Bipartisan Background Check bill

March 2023 – Statement Issued: The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) has long advocated for pay equity for all. The recent study by Payscale again documents the inequity that exists for women and BIPOC physicians and surgeons. The survey notes an inequity of $35,000/year, leading up to a projected $900,000 gap for a lifetime of employment. Since 1915, AMWA has worked to bring equity to healthcare at all levels, for patients and for those that serve and care for them. AMWA serves a unique role in advocating for equity in compensation through mentoring, advising, and developing personal comfort when discussing financial matters. AMWA will continue to be a medical organization that advocates for health equity.

March 2023 – Statement Issued: AMWA supports legislation that would help decrease maternal and infant mortality rates such as ensuring access to obstetrical care in rural and underserved areas, increased funding for maternal support services such as doulas, programs to help reduce costs of prenatal and postnatal care, and expansion of maternity and paternity leave benefits.

March 2023 – Statement Issued: AMWA advocates for continued access to healthcare through the Medicare program. We agree with legislation and funding for programs that expand healthcare access. View Fact Sheet

February  17, 2023 — Statement Issued: AMWA is opposed to legal interference that precludes physicians’ ability to practice evidence-based medicine and to prescribe FDA-approved medications, including Mifepristone, to patients as this can lead to preventable adverse consequences.

February 6, 2023 – AMWA signs onto Family Values at Work letter to Congress which calls for federal Paid Family Leave (inclusive, accessible, job-protected) on the 30th anniversary of the passage of the FMLA on February 2nd

February 2, 2023 – AMWA signs on to Tennessee Equality Project’s statement on LGBTQ healthcare

February 2023 – AMWA letter-writing campaign urges Congressional representatives to contact CMS to update Medicare osteoporosis payment policies in the next Physician Fee Service rule, so that people who suffer osteoporotic fractures get the cost-effective care they need to prevent additional fractures. Better post-fracture care for people with osteoporosis will improve the quality of care and can reduce healthcare disparities, opioid use, and nursing home admissions, all while reducing avoidable medical costs.

February 2023 – AMWA gives support for a bill that ACLU and If/When/How are working on to stop the California and other state governments from using reverse warrants, a form of unconstitutional digital surveillance that puts people at grave risk, particularly if they are seeking reproductive care. These so-called “reverse warrants” — “geofence warrants,” or “keyword warrants” — can compel tech companies to search their data banks and reveal the identities of all people who looked up a particular keyword online or drove down a certain street.

February 2023 – Statement Issued: AMWA is opposed to any legal interference that impedes physicians’ ability to practice evidence-based medicine and to prescribe FDA-approved medications, including Mifepristone. The inability to provide essential reproductive healthcare leaves women at increased risk for adverse outcomes.

February 2023 – AMWA endorses the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research’s FY 2024 recommendation for “at least $50.924 billion for NIH’s foundational work, a $3.465 billion increase over the comparable FY 2023 program level, which would allow NIH’s base budget to keep pace with the biomedical research and development price index (BRDPI) and allow meaningful growth of 5%.” The recommendation also notes the establishment of ARPA-H and adds that, “In addition to the Ad Hoc Group’s FY 2024 recommendation of at least $50.924 billion for NIH’s base budget, many of our organizations also have been engaging ARPA-H and separately support renewing the ARPA-H investment in FY 2024.”

January 31, 2023 – AMWA signs on to TheTimeIsNow GVP Coalition letter sent to President Biden before his State of Union address

January 31, 2023 – AMWA joined the #KeepKidsSafe Coalition to officially support Ethan’s Law

January 13, 2023 – AMWA supports abortion shield laws. AMWA sent a memorandum to New York Senator Mayer in support of S1066, a bill that would shield clinicians and pharmacists throughout the state from  prosecution, loss of license or malpractice, and from subpoenas of their medical records for prescribing and sending of abortion pills to people who need them

January 2023 – AMWA signs on to Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action’s organizational letter calling for the re-opening of the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge

January 2023 – AMWA gave support to  a bill introduced in the Illinois legislature in support of publishing the ERA Amendment to codify women’s equality and equal rights, which would also assure access to abortion care

2022

December 14, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter delivered to Congress on the 10th anniversary of Sandy Hook

December 2, 2022 – AMWA submits comments to support the proposed new objective for Healthy People 2030: Social Determinants of Health-NEW-07: Increase the proportion of the voting age citizens who vote. (Data Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

December 2022 – AMWA signed on to the 10th National Vigil For All Victims of Gun Violence Sandy Hook Anniversary Letter

December 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting the passage of a “shield law” in New York State that would protect clinicians who want to provide telemedicine abortion in the banned and restricted states

December 2022 – AMWA signs on to consensus statement on obesity as a disease

November 30, 2022 – AMWA joins the amicus brief Billard v. Charlotte Catholic High School in the Fourth Circuit, in support of Lonnie Billard, a former drama teacher and substitute teacher at Charlotte Catholic High School who was fired after he announced on Facebook that he was marrying his partner (Final Brief)

November 30, 2022 – AMWA joins the amicus brief of BRAIDWOOD MANAGEMENT INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. XAVIER BECERRA, in his official capacity as Secretary of Health and Human Services to express their concern that an overly broad, nationwide remedy, in this case, could jeopardize the coverage of preventive health care services for millions of Americans

November 28, 2022 – AMWA signed on letter to letter to legislative leaders on the importance of sexual and reproductive health priorities in the final FY23 omnibus

November 15, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter US Senators in support of the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404/S. 4556)

November 10, 2022 – AMWA has signed on to an amicus brief A.M. by E.M. v. Indianapolis Public Schools, No. 22-2332 that challenges to a new Indiana statute that prohibits trans student athletes, specifically trans girls, from participating on sports teams that correspond to their gender identity

November 2, 2022 – AMWA signs on to a letter addressed to Chairmen Neal and Pallone and Ranking Members Brady and McMorris Rodgers expressing opposition to H.R. 8812, the “Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act,” or the “I CAN Act.” This legislation would endanger the quality of care that Medicare and Medicaid patients receive by expanding the scope of practice for non-physician practitioners (NPPs), including nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), and physician assistants (PAs)

November 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to appropriations leaders requesting at least $9.39 billion in discretionary HRSA funding in the final FY23 LHHS bill

November 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, urging swift passage of at least the House Appropriations Committee-passed $47.5 billion for the NIH base budget for FY 2023

October 4, 2022 – AMWA submitted a comment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) Military members support the provision to provide appropriate reproductive healthcare by including abortion care for all who obtain their health care at a VA facility. Abortion is an often life-saving part of health care and when a physician (or other clinicians) and the patient enter into a shared decision-making process, both should be assured that the care needed will be able to be rendered. When appropriate healthcare is needed, the decision on how to provide and receive that care is the purview of the patient and the physician/clinician. AMWA salutes the VA for ensuring the inclusion of abortion as health care.

October 4, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter urging federal funding for harm reduction through CDC’s Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic (IDO) Program

October 4, 2022 – AMWA signed on to a petition calling the FDA to add miscarriage management as an indication to mifepristone’s approval and to eliminate or modify mifepristone’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) so that it is not unduly burdensome for that use (Petition)

October 2022 – AMWA joins the Civic Health Compact, which aims to establish the case for incorporating civic engagement ideals into the frameworks of health systems (Draft)

October 2022 – AMWA signs on to the women’s reproductive health letter to congressional leaders (Draft)

October 2022 – AMWA signs on to letters supporting two regulations that will support (1) phased-down emissions from transportation through better coordinated measurement approaches by the DOT and (2) a faster transition to renewable energy generation by improving the electric grid as the result of a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

October 2022 – AMWA Affirms Importance of Nutrition to Good Health
AMWA understands the impact of nutrition on health and disease and the role of food as medicine in the care of patients. AMWA commits to incorporating healthy nutrition into AMWA conferences and promoting this education in all AMWA branches.

October 2022 – AMWA Stands with Women and Girls in Iran
As a longstanding champion of gender equality, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) categorically condemns the targeting of peaceful protesters in Iran who are demanding equal rights and basic human rights.

October 2022 – AMWA Supports HHS Revisions to the Affordable Care Act that Codify Protections for LGBTQ+ People
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) supports the US Department of Health and Human Services adopting revisions to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act that codify protections for LGBTQ+ people from mistreatment by physicians, other clinicians, and insurers.

September, 30 2022 – AMWA joined the amicus brief to be filed to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Boyer v. Wilkie in support of a federal government employee who was paid less than her male colleagues for substantially similar work

September 2022 – AMWA is signatory on a letter supporting the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act

September 7, 2022 – AMWA sends letter to President Biden urging the publication of the Equal Rights Amendment

September 2022 – AMWA joined the American Public Health Association and other health, education and human services organizations in signing on to a letter to the U.S. Senate in support of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would guarantee the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code, repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and affirm that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states

September 2022 – AMWA Stands with Physicians Performing Abortion Services in the Wake of Roe Being Overturned
AMWA has always upheld the right to reproductive healthcare services on behalf of both patients and physicians. AMWA fully supports physicians who are putting forth their best effort to provide abortion care that complies with current, albeit sometimes convoluted and harmful legal standards, some of which seek to punish them for doing their duty as physicians.

September 2022 – AMWA Opposes a National Ban on Abortion After 15 Weeks
The proposed national ban on abortion after 15 weeks is not based on medical science and introduces intrusion into the patient-physician relationship. The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) ardently opposes the legislation of health care, including abortion and other reproductive care.

August 9, 2022 – AMWA participated with Doctors for America’s (DFA) FDA Task Force in a letter to Secretary Becerra thanking him for protecting patients across the country with the recent Executive Order safeguarding access to reproductive health care services. Doctors for America’s (DFA) FDA Task Force and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) support the Administration’s work to ensure that Americans are able to obtain the healthcare they need without barriers. The letter also included additional recommendations on how to further protect and expand access to reproductive care

August 3, 2022 – AMWA joins Amicus Brief in A.C. v. Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, Seventh Circuit Court Trans Restroom Case

August 2, 2022 – AMWA joins amicus brief in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard/UNC in support of the universities and their affirmative action admissions policies

August 2022 – AMWA Opposes Legislative Limits to Abortion
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) is dedicated to the advancement of reproductive health and supports access to safe and legal abortion as part of comprehensive reproductive health care for all. We oppose legislation that limits access to abortion, such as that recently passed in Indiana.

August 2022 – AMWA applauds the U.S. Senate passage of The Inflation Reduction Act
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) applauds the US Senate’s passage of The Inflation Reduction Act, which includes important prescription drug pricing reforms, funding efforts to reduce climate change, and extends subsidies for millions of Americans receiving care through insurance exchanges established through the Affordable Care Act.

July 28, 2022 – AMWA represented at event celebrating the introduction of the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act. Speakers include Rep. Pramila Jayapal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Frank Palone, Rep. Ami Bera, MD, and and several advocates, including Rita Kuwahara, MD, Vice-Chair of AMWA’s Advocacy Committee. Dr. Kuwahara spoke of the “lack of research and awareness of early onset heart disease in the South Asian community” and advocated for more research “to develop evidence-based interventions to address this issue.” Watch the video. (Dr. Kuwahara’s remarks start at 22:43)

July 25, 2022 – AMWA joins the AMA in co-signing a statement bringing attention to the upcoming hearing in Kelley v. Becerra. An adverse decision would mean that millions of privately insured patients will lose first-dollar coverage for important screening and preventive services. [Press release with full statement]

July 24, 2022 – AMWA joins in follow-up letter to the California Senate supporting SB 951 (Durazo) Increasing Wage Replacement Rates for PFL + SDI: Support

July 14, 2022 – AMWA joins National Nurses United in a letter to the US Senate in support of the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

July 7, 2022 – Following the decision overturning the protections affording by Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, AMWA is joining the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association in a statement condemning legislative interference in the practice of medicine, including abortion as well as the dangerous expansion of legislative interference that it portends.

July 2022 – AMWA Endorses Presidential Executive Order to Protect Reproductive Rights
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) supports the efforts made by President Biden to protect access to reproductive health services announced in an Executive Order today. In particular, AMWA upholds the commitment to safeguard reproductive rights, specifically to:

  • Protect access to FDA-approved medication abortion Ensure that patients are able to receive emergency medical care related to pregnancy and miscarriage
  • Enable interstate travel to attain abortion care and maintain access to contraception
  • Protect the privacy of an individual’s health information, including reproductive health information

June 21, 2022 – AMWA joins other healthcare organizations in signing on to a gun violence prevention letter to the US Senate

June 6, 2022 – AMWA joins Giffords as a partner for its gun violence prevention memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC

June 2022 – AMWA joins amicus brief 303 Creative v. Elenis in support of Colorado’s public accommodations law that protects LGBTQ individuals and many others from discrimination

May 31, 2022 – AMWA signed on to a letter supporting the FY23 CDC Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic Program funding request

May 25, 2022 – AMWA is endorsing a set of principles created by the AMA on Characteristics of a Rational Medicare Payment System

May 19, 2022 – AMWA signs on to LEAD Coalition’s FY 2023 appropriations letters to the House and Senate supporting continued funding for Alzheimer’s research

May 16, 2022 – AMWA joins letter to the California Senate supporting SB 951 (Durazo) Increasing Wage Replacement Rates for PFL + SDI: Support

May 12, 2022 – AMWA writes letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advocating for mask innovation efforts that address sex differences to equitably protect the entire US population.

May 11, 2022 – AMWA endorses the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health’s The Health Promises for Climate Solutions paper

May 10, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to the Senate supporting passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act

May 9, 2022 – AMWA votes to co-sponsor CMA Resolution to the AMA House of Delegates (#420) declaring Climate Change a Public Health Crisis

May 3, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting a Congressional Resolution highlighting the dire need to expand and invest in women’s health research. An executive summary on the social impact of research funding on women’s health is available.

May 2022 – AMWA supports the resolution put forth by the AMA Resident Section on Preserving Access to Reproductive Health Services

May 2022 – AMWA Grieves Horrific Mass Shootings
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) grieves the horrific mass shooting of Black shoppers in Buffalo, NY on May 14 which was motivated by racism and hatred. We join people across the country in calling for racism to be addressed as a public health emergency by the federal government.

May 2022 – AMWA Continues to Support Reproductive Rights for All Including Access to Safe and Legal Abortions
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) has advocated for comprehensive reproductive health throughout its history and remains committed to supporting reproductive rights for all patients, including access to safe and legal abortions.

May 2022 – AMWA Supports Access to Safe and Legal Abortion
As an organization dedicated to the advancement of reproductive health, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) supports access to safe and legal abortion as part of comprehensive reproductive health care for all.

April 28, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter along with other organizations in the medical, public health, and research community in support of $50 million in federal gun violence prevention research funding to the CDC and NIH in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023

April 26, 2022 – AMWA joins AMCHP and over 25 other national organizations in sending a letter to House and Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee leadership supporting $100 million for SET-NET in FY23

April 21, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to the House and Senate supporting increased funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs and address policies that limit the effectiveness of these programs in the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs FY 2023 Appropriations bill

April 19, 2022 – AMWA joins letters to both the Senate and House Appropriations committees asking them to consider funding the CDC Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program at $60 million

April 11, 2022 – AMWA’s Opioid Addiction in Women Task Force submits public comments to the CDC’s updated Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids

April 6, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to House and Senate L-HHS Appropriations Committee leaders in support of at least $9.8 billion in discretionary HRSA funding in fiscal year 2023

April 6, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to House and Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee leadership in support of $1 billion for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant in FY23

April 2022 – AMWA endorsed the 2022 Congressional resolution to designate April 30th as National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day

April 2022 – AMWA sign on to a letter to President Biden asking to “Advance Clean Energy Independence for Health”

April 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter along with other public health and medical organizations strongly supporting the EPA’s proposal to restore the finding that the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) are “appropriate and necessary”

March 28, 2022 – AMWA joins a second amicus brief with ACOG regarding Montana Planned Parenthood and restrictive access to abortion.

March 24, 2022 – AMWA joins amicus brief with ACOG and other organizations in the Montana Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Montana, et al. v. Montana that concerns three Montana bills that collectively restrict access to abortion by prohibiting abortion starting at 20 weeks and by requiring additional steps prior to receiving an abortion

March 18, 2022 – AMWA signs onto a statement urging Congress not to stall additional funding for COVID relief

March 14, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter urging Congress to pass the Child Poverty Reduction Act (H.R. 1558/S. 643) to establish a national child poverty reduction target and solidify its commitment to ultimately ending child poverty in the United States

March 14, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting California SB 951, which would ensure that by January 1, 2025, workers earning low wages would receive 90% or their regular wages for the first 16 weeks of SDI and all 8 weeks of PFL. All other workers would receive 70% of their regular wages up to a maximum weekly benefit amount; A second letter was sent to the Governor and California State Assembly and Senate on March 18 in support of SB 951

March 13,  2022 – AMWA signs on to letter supporting California SB 1058 that would require the EDD to collect race and ethnicity data from Paid Family Leave (PFL) and State Disability Insurance (SDI) claimants to help inform outreach efforts, increase uptake among underserved communities, and ensure equitable access to these programs

March 2022 – AMWA joins letter to Leader Schumer calling on him to bring HJ Res 17 (SJ Res 1), removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment, for a vote on the Senate floor without further delay

March 2022 – AMWA joins ACOG in the amicus brief for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota v. Noem (21-2913), currently before the 8th Circuit, that challenges a 2011 South Dakota law requiring patients to visit a “Pregnancy Help Center” (PHC)

March 2022 – AMWA joins ACOG in the amicus brief for Planned Parenthood of Montana v. Montana, DA 21-0521 that challenges three abortion restrictions passed by the legislature and signed by the governor in 2021 (the laws are currently enjoined and not in force)

March 2022 – AMWA Applauds Reauthorization of VAWA
This week the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 2022 was signed into law and reauthorized through 2027. This bipartisan legislation includes new requirements to increase access to VAWA-funded programs and improve responsiveness to the needs of survivors. The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) champions the reauthorization of the VAWA.

March 2022 – Standing with Ukrainians
AMWA has a vision of a healthier world, and consequently, we categorically condemn the targeting of Ukrainian civilians and healthcare facilities by Russian military forces.

March 2022 – Access to Gender-Affirming Healthcare & Education
Research has shown that providing gender-affirming care improves physical and mental health. As such, AMWA condemns legislative efforts that seek to criminalize those participating in that care

March 2022 – AMWA Calls for Halt to the Use of “Excited Delirium” as a Medical Diagnosis
AMWA strongly opposes the use of so-called “excited delirium,” which is not a validated medical diagnosis or condition as an indication or justification for the use of excessive force or chemical sedation by law enforcement or others.

February 25, 2022 – AMWA signs on to a follow-up letter to the White House outlining a list of Executive Actions the President could take in order to reduce gun violence

February 15, 2022 – AMWA joins coalition sign on letter urging Congress to pass the FY 2022 annual spending bills this month, increasing resources for the many programs successfully supporting and protecting children and to avoid a long-term continuing resolution (CR)

February 1, 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter urging Senators to support the Women’s Health Protection Act (S. 1975)

February 2022 – AMWA signs on to letter to support California’s AB 84/ SB 114, which provides COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave to eligible employees.

January 25, 2022 – AMWA signed on to an Amicus Brief with other medical organizations and public health leaders in the US Supreme Court case West Virginia v. EPA. AMWA stepped up to explain to the court the essential need for the EPA to regulate emissions and the effect on the health of our communities.

January 10, 2022 – AMWA joins the ERA Coalition and advocates from 51 organizations in an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the case filed by the Attorneys General of the last three states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment — Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia — to force U.S. Archivist David S. Ferriero to publish the ERA to the U.S. Constitution

January 5, 2022 – The American Medical Women’s Association Georgia Chapter Comments on 1332 Waiver reinsurance application and ensuring public access to healthcare