AMA's CPT Code Monopoly: An Economic Termite in Healthcare
2025-03-27
This article exposes the American Medical Association's (AMA) lucrative monopoly on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, used for medical billing. The AMA charges hefty royalties to software companies using these codes, a cost ultimately passed on to doctors and patients. This practice burdens physicians and influences healthcare politics, shifting AMA focus from its members' interests to its own profit maximization. The author calls for government intervention, such as invalidating CPT code copyrights or developing alternatives, to restore fair competition and the public good. The AMA's silence on Robert Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Secretary of HHS hints at this power dynamic.