HSA 4421 - Refulation.gov and AMA PolicyFinder

The American Medical Association uses the PolicyFinder database to store current AMA policy.

PolicyFinder can be searched by using keywords typed into the search bar. For an efficient

search, start by typing single words and short phrases, such as family leave, informed consent,

CDC guidelines, and other topics. A specific policy number may be used to search as well.

As you begin to type keywords in the search bar, you may see drop-down options appear.

Clicking on any of those choices will take you directly to a single policy.

Clicking the search button will take you to a list of policies related to your general search terms.

The option to download the list of policies for later reference is included on this page.

Trending policy topics are also located below the search bar for easy navigation. By clicking one

of these buttons, you will be taken directly to a listing of relevant policies. These topics will be

updated periodically to reflect current trending topics.

Once you click through either the keyword search, drop-down choice, or trending policy button,

you’ll see a selection of filters in the left side column allowing you to focus your search even

further. Clicking the advanced search button on the homepage will provide the same filtering

options.

If no search results are returned when searching for a specific policy number, this indicates that

the policy number does not exist or that a policy has been rescinded through previous HOD

action. A list of rescinded policies can be obtained using the advanced search option.

Recording AMA Policy

PolicyFinder is updated after every meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD). Categories

are filed in the PolicyFinder alphabetically starting at ‘A’ currently with ‘abortion’ and running

through ‘W’ with ‘women.’ Policies are also labeled with a numerical system. Abortion is

assigned ‘5’ and women is assigned ‘525.’ A short list of topics that fall under governance starts

at 600, such as ‘Governance: AMA House of Delegates’ at ‘600’ and ‘Governance: Advocacy

and Political Action’ at ‘640.’

Within each topic, individual policies are given a three-digit number that appears after a decimal

point counting down from 999. This means that generally, older policies will have higher

numbers within a category. For instance, a policy with the number 35.999 was adopted before

one with the number 35.984. Even if a policy is changed, its number remains the same.

Therefore, a higher number might indicate a more recent modification compared to a lower

number. When policies are removed, their numbers are not reused; they are simply deleted

from the system.

AMA policies are further categorized into one of four types by a prefix in addition to the

numbers:

● “H” – for statements considered positional or philosophical on an issue

● “D” – for statements that direct some specific activity or action. Often, policies could be

considered both H and D statements, with the assignment made based on the core

nature of the statement.

● “G” – for statements related to AMA governance

● “E” – for ethical opinions, which are the recommendations put forward in reports

prepared by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs and adopted by the AMA-HOD

Annotations at the end of each policy statement trace its development, from initial adoption

through any amendments or reaffirmations that occur in subsequent meetings. If the policy

statement is based on a report, the annotation includes the following abbreviations to note

which governing body worked on the policy:

● BOT – Board of Trustees

● CME – Council on Medical Education

● CCB – Council on Constitution and Bylaws

● CMS – Council on Medical Service

● CEJA – Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs

● CSAPH – Council on Science and Public Health

● CLRPD – Council on Long Range Planning and Development

If a resolution was involved, “Res” is included. The number of the report or resolution and

meeting (A for Annual; I for Interim) and year (two digits) are also included (eg, BOT Rep. 1, A-

14 or Res. 319, I-12).

Here are examples of individual policies, with numbers, prefixes, and annotations for reference:

● Policies for Parental, Family and Medical Necessity Leave H-405.960

● Delegation of Informed Consent: D-160.918

● Heart Disease in Women: H-525.975

This table comprises the full list of current AMA categories Any particular policy is recorded in

only a single category. .

5.000 Abortion 10.000 Accident Prevention/Unintentional Injuries

15.000 Accident Prevention: Motor Vehicles 20.000 Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

25.000 Aging 30.000 Alcohol and Alcoholism

35.000 Allied Health Professions 40.000 Armed Forces

45.000 Aviation Medicine 50.000 Blood

55.000 Cancer 60.000 Children and Youth

65.000 Civil and Human Rights 70.000 Coding and Nomenclature

75.000 Contraception 80.000 Crime

85.000 Death and Vital Records 90.000 Disabled

95.000 Drug Abuse 100.000 Drugs

105.000 Drugs: Advertising 110.000 Drugs: Cost

115.000 Drugs: Labeling and Packaging 120.000 Drugs: Prescribing and Dispensing

125.000 Drugs: Substitution 130.000 Emergency Medical Services

135.000 Environmental Health 140.000 Ethics

145.000 Firearms: Safety and Regulation 150.000 Foods and Nutrition

155.000 Health Care Costs 160.000 Health Care Delivery

165.000 Health Care/System Reform 170.000 Health Education

175.000 Health Fraud 180.000 Health Insurance

185.000 Health Insurance: Benefits and Coverage 190.000 Health Insurance: Claim Forms and Claims Processing

195.000 Health Maintenance Organizations 200.000 Health Workforce

205.000 Health Planning 210.000 Home Health Services

215.000 Hospitals 220.000 Hospitals: Accreditation Standards

225.000 Hospitals: Medical Staff 230.000 Hospitals: Medical Staff - Credentialing and Privileges

235.000 Hospitals: Medical Staff - Organization 240.000 Hospitals: Reimbursement

245.000 Infant Health 250.000 International Health

255.000 International Medical Graduates 260.000 Laboratories

265.000 Legal Medicine 270.000 Legislation and Regulation

275.000 Licensure and Discipline 280.000 Long-Term Care

285.000 Managed Care 290.000 Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs

295.000 Medical Education 300.000 Medical Education: Continuing

305.000 Medical Education: Financing and Support 310.000 Medical Education: Graduate

315.000 Medical Records and Patient Privacy 320.000 Medical Review

330.000 Medicare 335.000 Medicare: Carrier Review

340.000 Medicare: PRO 345.000 Mental Health

350.000 Minorities 355.000 National Practitioner Data Bank

360.000 Nurses and Nursing 365.000 Occupational Health

370.000 Organ Donation and Transplantation 373.000 Patients

375.000 Peer Review 380.000 Physician Fees

383.000 Physician Negotiation 385.000 Physician Payment

390.000 Physician Payment: Medicare 400.000 Physician Payment: Medicare - RBRVS

405.000 Physicians 406.000 Physician-Specific Health Care Data

410.000 Practice Parameters 415.000 Preferred Provider Arrangements

420.000 Pregnancy and Childbirth 425.000 Preventive Medicine

430.000 Prisons 435.000 Professional Liability

440.000 Public Health 445.000 Public Relations

450.000 Quality of Care 455.000 Radiation and Radiology

460.000 Research 465.000 Rural Health

470.000 Sports and Physical Fitness 475.000 Surgery

478.000 Technology - Computer 480.000 Technology - Medical

485.000 Television 490.000 Tobacco Use, Prevention and Cessation

495.000 Tobacco Products 500.000 Tobacco: AMA Corporate Policies and Activities

505.000 Tobacco: Federal and International Policies 510.000 Veterans Medical Care

515.000 Violence and Abuse 520.000 War

525.000 Women 600.000 Governance: AMA House of Delegates

605.000 Governance: AMA Board of Trustees and Officers 610.000 Governance: Nominations, Elections, and Appointments

615.000 Governance: AMA Councils, Sections, and Committees 620.000 Governance: Federation of Medicine

625.000 Governance: Strategic Planning 630.000 Governance: AMA Administration and Programs

635.000 Governance: Membership 640.000 Governance: Advocacy and Political Action