capitol hill report: AAN ACTIVE ON LEGISLATION, RESEARCH FUNDING
March 21, 2022
AAN Active on Legislation, Research Funding
Latest Advocacy News
- The AAN joined the physician and medical community in urging Congress to extend the moratorium on the two-percent Medicare sequester―which is currently scheduled to partially go into effect on April 1―until the end of the public health emergency. The Academy also urged Congress to initiate proceedings to discuss potential reforms to the Medicare physician payment program.
- The Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing last week on the need to lower drug prices in Medicare. Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee held a hearing on innovation and oversight for prescription medications. The AAN has been highly active on prescription drug issues, including recently publishing an op-ed on the topic and submitting this statement for the record in advance of the E&C Committee hearing.
- The AAN submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on March 15 in response to a request for information on electronic prior authorization. These comments focus on the challenges faced by providers and patients with current prior authorization processes and outline the capabilities and standards that electronic prior authorization systems should adhere to in order to reduce administrative burden and bolster access to care. Read our official comments.
Issue in Focus
Congress recently enacted $1.5 trillion in spending for fiscal year (FY) 2022 that impacts a number of priorities the AAN has championed throughout the 117th Congress. This legislation funds critical federal medical research programs at historic levels, including $45 billion to the National Institutes of Health, an increase of more than $2 billion. A program-specific breakdown provides more detail. It also creates the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a new $1-billion initiative that the Academy supported to accelerate the pace of scientific breakthroughs for “diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.”
Additionally, this legislation extended Medicare telehealth flexibilities for 151 days following the end of the public health emergency (PHE). If the PHE ends in July, this will extend current flexibilities through mid-December. While the AAN had advocated for a longer extension, this action eliminates the risk of an immediate and sudden cliff in telehealth policy. The AAN will continue to advocate for a permanent action or a multi-year extension of telehealth flexibilities as the end of the year approaches.
Finally, Congress urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to “increase its investment to maintain and expand existing centers of excellence within VA dedicated to neurological conditions.” Congress also requested a report detailing opportunities to enhance care for veterans with neurologic conditions. The AAN led the request for this language along with our coalition partners. The bill also included specific appropriations for the VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence ($10 million) and reiterated its support for a significant expansion of the VA Headache Centers of Excellence.
What We're Reading
- The Hidden Epidemic of Brain Injuries From Domestic Violence (New York Times)
- World Answers Ukrainian Neurologists' Desperate Cry for Help (Medscape)
- Medicare Sequestration and Physician Reimbursement Issues (McDermott+ Podcast)