capitol hill report: NEW BILLS WOULD AFFECT TELEHEALTH, DRUG PRICING, RESIDENTS

July 12, 2021

Latest Advocacy News

• On July 8, the FDA announced an updated label for the new Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab (Aduhelm), approving the drug only for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The AAN is pleased with this change as it aligns with the recommendation provided in our comment letter sent to the FDA. Congress has also announced an investigation of the drug’s price, set at $56,000/year. The AAN continues to work to provide resources for members on the drug.
• Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Angus King (I-ME) introduced the Drug-price Transparency for Competition (DTC) Act, a bill that would require price disclosures on prescription drug advertisements. The AAN was listed as an endorsing organization of this bill on the Senate press release.
• Reps. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, a bill to allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their student loans while serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program. The AAN was listed as an endorsing organization of this bill on the press release.

Issue In Focus

The House Appropriations Committee approved their FY22 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which includes language to support Neurology Centers of Excellence within the Veteran’s Health Administration, including Epilepsy, Headache, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Centers. The Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Centers were created by Congress in the early 2000s, and the AAN championed the creation of the Epilepsy Centers in 2007, an effort that was motivated by a surge in veterans experiencing seizures and being diagnosed with epilepsy in connection with traumatic brain injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Headache Centers were created by Congress in 2018, due to the advocacy of many AAN members and people with headache disorders.

The funding for these centers has been stagnant since they were established. The erosion of their funding due to inflation has been problematic, resulting in a reduction of capacity and staff. The AAN led this most recent advocacy effort to renew support for all the centers by sharing draft language aimed at accomplishing this objective with dozens of congressional offices and coordinating 15 meetings that were supported by allied patient groups, including the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, the Epilepsy Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and the National MS Society.

The AAN is optimistic that the Senate will also include this priority in their appropriations bill, which once passed would be enacted at the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 2021.

What We're Reading

• Biden admin releases first rule banning surprise medical bills (Fierce Healthcare)
• Medicare ‘Coverage With Evidence Development’ For Aducanumab? How Might It Work? (Health Affairs Blog)