Government & Policy Education
policy
Discover professional resources about government and public policy, and review the mechanisms the AAN uses to advocate for neurology.
Legislative Advocacy
The AAN engages with Congress and state legislatures to affect change.
On the federal level, bills are drafted by members of Congress with input from key stakeholders, like the AAN. The AAN lobbies members of Congress to support or oppose bills based on how they affect the practice of neurology.
Congressional committees hold hearings and make changes to the bills. Committees vote to approve the bill to the full House of Representatives or Senate. Key health care committees include:
House of Representatives
- Committee on Ways and Means – responsible for revenue-related aspects of the Social Security system, Medicare, and social services programs.
- Committee on Energy and Commerce – responsible for issues related to food and drug safety, public health research, and interstate and foreign commerce. It oversees multiple cabinet-level Departments and independent agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Committee on Appropriations – responsible for allocating federal funds.
Senate
- Committee on Finance – responsible for issues related to health programs under the Social Security Act such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund.
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) – responsible for agencies, institutes, and programs of the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Committee on Appropriations – responsible for allocating federal funds.
The House and Senate resolve any differences between the bills and vote on the final legislation. The President vetoes the bill or signs the bill into law.
Regulatory Advocacy
Once a bill becomes law, the executive branch of government determines how to implement the law. Much of the policy affecting health care is executed by government regulatory agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services including:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – administers Medicare program, including reimbursement.
- Food & Drug Administration (FDA) – oversees manufacturing and distribution of food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, tobacco and other consumer products.
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) – coordinates nationwide efforts to implement and use health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – works to protect the US from health, safety and security threats.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – conducts national medical research.
- Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) – produces research and education to improve the safety and quality of America's health care system.
The AAN is constantly developing relationships and communicating with regulatory agencies to influence ongoing regulations that affect issues related to neurology. Agencies often propose regulations, offer time for stakeholders like the AAN to submit comments, and then finalize the regulations based on the feedback they received.
| Issue | AAN Legislative Advocacy Example | AAN Regulatory Advocacy Example |
|
Prescription Drugs |
Lobbying Congress to pass legislation to redesign the Medicare Part D drug benefit program and reduce the total out-of-pocket spending threshold to $3,100 or lower for covered Part D drugs |
Submitted comments to the FDA on a proposed regulation on importation of prescription drugs |
|
Reimbursement |
54 meetings with members of Congress and their staff resulting in letters signed by 90 Representatives and 24 Senators to pressure CMS on E/M reimbursement |
Multiple meetings with high-level policymakers from CMS and submitted multiple comment letters to finalize positive E/M reimbursement changes |
|
Telehealth
|
Helped draft and pass the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act, a bill that requires Medicare to reimburse for telestroke services regardless of where a patient receives treatment |
Submitted comments to CMS articulating the AAN’s forward-looking vision for changes to telehealth regulation and reimbursement both during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency |
Resources
Questions? Email advocacy@aan.com