Inside STAT: AMA urges Congress not to loosen privacy restrictions for patients with addiction history

REP. GREG WALDEN, ON THE LEFT, AND REP. FRANK PALLONE. (CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES)

The American Medical Association is opposing a hotly debated change to patient privacy laws that would let doctors more freely share information about a patient’s history of drug use. In a letter sent to Reps. Greg Walden and Frank Pallone and obtained by STAT, the AMA said it believed there was a “fundamental misunderstanding” among groups trying to put the proposal into a sprawling opioids bill. The group is concerned that relaxing privacy restrictions could stop people from seeking treatment in the first place. By entering the fray, the powerful AMA is pitting itself against a similarly strong coalition of groups, including the American Hospital Association. STAT's Lev Facher has more here.