Act Now to Protect Veteran Care, Medicare Reimbursement
May 8, 2023
Latest Advocacy News
- Nine million veterans are enrolled to receive care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including many who suffer from neurologic disease. Many of these veterans benefit from the unique care of neurology-related Centers of Excellence, which are fully integrated into a VA medical center. Following the release of the House Republican’s debt limit plan, funding for the Veterans Health Administration is not explicitly protected, although verbally ensured. Help protect funding for veterans and tell your representatives to fully fund the VA Neurology Centers of Excellence today!
- Contact your legislators and urge them to support legislation that would help stabilize Medicare physician payments! Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Ami Bera (D-CA), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) introduced the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, H.R. 2474, legislation that would provide an inflationary update to Medicare physician payments. AAN advocacy was an instrumental part in this successful step forward. Introduction of legislation addressing an inflationary update was a priority ask at Neurology on the Hill.
- The AAN is currently working to respond to a proposed rule from the Office of the National Coordinator with significant implications for EHR interoperability and functionality. Additionally, this proposed rule has substantial impacts on the use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice, the reduction of administrative burdens, and ongoing efforts to promote seamless access and exchange of health information.
Issue in Focus
May 11, 2023, marks the end of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration and with it, many of the pandemic-era policies that modified how health care is delivered. Thankfully, Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other regulatory agencies have worked to mitigate an abrupt end to telehealth access upon May 11.
Most notably, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA 2023) passed in December extends many temporary Medicare policies such as audio-only and geographic and originating site requirements through December 31, 2024. This legislation effectively overrides the previous 151-day extension to telehealth flexibilities that was enacted earlier in 2022.
The CAA 2023 was silent on many federal telehealth flexibilities established during the PHE, such as payment parity, expanded services, and supervision requirements. Some of these provisions will end immediately on May 11 and others will expire at the end of the year. To help members navigate the post-PHE federal policy landscape, the AAN has produced a summary outlining key telehealth deadlines.
Looking ahead, the AAN has included telehealth as a component of its 2023 Advocacy Priorities. Outside of the PHE, the AAN will continue its efforts to advocate for access to telehealth services and reimbursement with Congress, regulators at CMS, and private payers.
What We're Reading
- Larger welfare checks lead to healthier brains, study finds (The Hill)
- Long waits to see a doctor are a public health crisis (Op-Ed, STAT)
- WHO Survey Finds Signs of Health System Recovery From Pandemic (CIDRAP)