For what it&#x27;s worth, people have been calling the AMA a union by another name for several decades.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.forbes.com&#x2F;sites&#x2F;johngoodman&#x2F;2014&#x2F;09&#x2F;03&#x2F;the-doctors-union&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.forbes.com&#x2F;sites&#x2F;johngoodman&#x2F;2014&#x2F;09&#x2F;03&#x2F;the-docto...</a><p>They lobby, they control the supply of doctors, they restrict competition, and they even engage in price fixing:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&#x2F;business&#x2F;economy&#x2F;how-a-secretive-panel-uses-data-that-distorts-doctors-pay&#x2F;2013&#x2F;07&#x2F;20&#x2F;ee134e3a-eda8-11e2-9008-61e94a7ea20d_story.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&#x2F;business&#x2F;economy&#x2F;how-a-secret...</a><p>They shape a lot of medical legislation, for example killing the Affordable Care Act&#x27;s &quot;public option.&quot;<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2009&#x2F;06&#x2F;11&#x2F;us&#x2F;politics&#x2F;11health.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2009&#x2F;06&#x2F;11&#x2F;us&#x2F;politics&#x2F;11health.html</a><p>This isn&#x27;t a recent thing.  The AMA was key in killing Truman&#x27;s universal healthcare proposal starting in 1945.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;umhm.mededu.miami.edu&#x2F;?p=394" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;umhm.mededu.miami.edu&#x2F;?p=394</a>