In June, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates convened in Chicago to set policy positions on issues affecting clinicians and patients. The Endocrine Society sent delegates Naykky Singh Ospina, MD, Amanda Bell, MD, and Daniel Spratt, MD, to represent the Society and advocate for endocrine-related policy priorities.
The Society’s delegation participated in deliberations and cosponsored resolutions addressing priorities in endocrine care. The reporting indicates the delegation’s focus was on advancing policies to improve clinical access and to align insurer coverage with evidence-based treatment options relevant to endocrine practice.
At the meeting, the Society supported multiple resolutions emphasizing obesity care and women’s health. Of particular note, the Society cosponsored a resolution that called for parity in access to evidence-based obesity treatment. That resolution advocated for insurance parity for surgical interventions, pharmacologic therapies, and behavioral or therapeutic components of obesity care.
The Society’s support reflects an effort to ensure that comprehensive approaches to obesity management are recognized and covered equitably by payers. The source states the resolution aimed to address disparities in access across the range of proven obesity treatments, without providing additional implementation details or specific insurer actions.
The AMA House of Delegates serves as the Association’s legislative and policy-making body. It meets twice a year to consider proposals and to adopt or amend AMA policy. By participating in these meetings, specialty societies such as the Endocrine Society can introduce, co-sponsor, and influence resolutions that affect clinical practice, public health, and health policy.
Seating within the AMA House of Delegates enables societies to formally present resolutions and collaborate with other medical organizations to advance shared priorities. The Endocrine Society’s representation at this particular meeting facilitated contributions on obesity, women’s health, and other endocrine issues.
The June meeting also marked the conclusion of Daniel Spratt’s service as the Endocrine Society’s AMA delegate. Spratt first began representing the Society at the AMA in 1994 and served continuously as delegate or alternate delegate through June 2026, totaling 32 years of service.
Spratt played a central role in achieving formal recognition for endocrinology in the AMA. When he began his advocacy, endocrinology was not yet recognized by the AMA as a subspecialty of internal medicine. Through his efforts, the AMA voted to seat the Endocrine Society in its House of Delegates, enabling the Society to introduce and advance endocrine-focused resolutions.
The Society extended its deepest appreciation to Spratt for his leadership and dedication from 1994 through 2026 and for his ongoing contributions to endocrine and patient advocacy as he transitions to service on the Society’s Board of Directors.
The article highlights several areas in which the Endocrine Society has engaged in collaborative advocacy alongside other medical societies and federal partners. These include:
Advocacy on insulin affordability.
Efforts to regulate hormones used for performance enhancement and bodybuilding.
Promoting recognition of obesity as a disease and improving access to obesity care.
Addressing physician compensation, workforce issues, and barriers to patient access to care.
One notable outcome stemming from a Society resolution was the formation of a joint task force involving the Endocrine Society, the AMA, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and the White House. That task force produced a White Paper examining the effects and risks of performance-enhancing drugs and contributed to the reclassification and regulation of certain hormone therapies, including androstenedione, which previously had been marketed as a nutritional supplement.
Another Society resolution led to the establishment of the AMA Task Force for Preservation of the Patient-Physician Relationship. Daniel Spratt served on that task force, which focuses on preserving patient access to care and the integrity of the clinical relationship.
The source does not provide additional details about enactment timelines, specific payer responses, or operational plans for implementing the obesity parity resolution; those details were not reported.
The Endocrine Society publicly thanked its delegates for attending the AMA meeting and representing the Society’s policy priorities. The Society also issued a special note of appreciation to Daniel Spratt for his long-standing service as a delegate and his role in advancing endocrine issues within the AMA.
The article does not list specific next steps or future agenda items beyond the resolutions noted. It confirms the Society’s continued engagement in collaborative advocacy on endocrine-related policy matters and its gratitude for the delegates’ contributions to those efforts.