Health insurer monopolies and oligopolies are becoming more widespread across the United States, as roughly 70 percent of metropolitans areas lack insurer competition and are "highly concentrated," according to a recent study from the American Medical Association.

From 2007 through 2010, many physician specialties in practices saw an increase in compensation, but the surgical specialties witnessed some of the largest pay growth in that four-year span, according to the American Medical Group Association's 2011 compensation and financial report, based on 2010 data.

The American Medical Association has re-elected Andrew W. Gurman, MD, as speaker of its Board of Trustees for 2012-2013.

At the 10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference in Chicago on June 16, Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, with Ellis Medical Consulting, discussed 15 current procedure terminology coding issues for orthopedic and spine ambulatory surgery center facilities.

The American Medical Association's Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee — the group that makes influential decisions in how physicians are paid by Medicare — has added two spots to represent primary care physicians more, according to an American Medical News report.

More than 100 medical groups and societies, such as the American Medical Association and the Society of Hospital Medicine, sent a letter (pdf) to the House Ways and Means Committee urging the sustainable growth rate be permanently fixed with savings accumulated from the withdrawal of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American Medical Association has released three online educational tutorials aimed at helping physician practices implement health information technology, according to an AMA news release.

After several weeks of partisan debate between the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, both chambers finally approved a two-month extension of payroll tax breaks and the Medicare sustainable growth rate, according to a Politico report.

The American Medical Association is offering physicians new resources to help physicians use electronic healthcare transactions, according to an AMA news release.

The American Medical Association is encouraging physicians to apply for an exemption from Medicare ePrescribing by Nov. 1 if they cannot meet requirements, according to an AMA news release.