capitol hill report: LEGISLATION ON PRIOR AUTHORIZATION GAINS SUPPORT
February 21, 2022
Latest Advocacy News
- Last week, the House held a hearing titled, “Is There a Doctor in the House? The Role of Immigrant Physicians in the U.S. Healthcare System,” in which a key focus of Democratic leadership was supporting the reauthorization and strengthening of the Conrad 30 program and other measures to improve the workforce stability for J-1 and H-1B visa holders. Read a brief excerpt of these remarks.
- On February 10, the AAN met with CMS to discuss our comment letter in response to the national coverage determination for aducanumab and other monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This meeting was an opportunity for the AAN to highlight top priorities in our comment letter as well as to open a dialogue with CMS in relation to technical recommendations compiled by the subject matter experts from the Academy’s aducanumab workgroup. Learn more about the AAN’s advocacy on this issue.
- The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact was recently signed into law in New Jersey. The compact offers an expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who want to practice in multiple states. This has been a priority issue for the AMA and AAN and it has been passed and enacted in 29 states.
Issue in Focus
Prior Authorization: New Data Emerges
Emerging data from the American Medical Association sheds further light on the growing issue of prior authorization. The survey shows that 93 percent of patients report care delays when prior authorization is involved. Furthermore, 82 percent of physicians report that prior authorization can lead to treatment abandonment. The results come as the House has reached a near consensus vote with over 264 members of Congress in support of H.R. 3173. In the Senate, progress has also been made in support of S. 3018 with over 20 Senators cosponsoring the bill.
This bipartisan legislation would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior authorization under the Medicare Advantage program, providing much-needed oversight and transparency of health insurance for America’s seniors. The bill currently has over 450 endorsing organizations and is a large priority for the AAN and the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC) at large. At the end of January, the RRC sent letters to the House Energy and Commerce, House Ways and Means, and Senate Finance committees requesting they convene a hearing and mark-up, and consider including this bipartisan bill in any year-end legislative package.
Finally, the AAN will be participating in the RRC’s week of action starting March 7. More information coming soon!