capitol hill report: BIDEN BOOSTS BBB; CMS SETS 2022 FINAL FEE SCHEDULE

November 8, 2021

Latest Advocacy News

President Biden released a new Build Back Better legislative framework that includes health care coverage provisions such as expanding Medicaid, extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, and adding hearing services coverage to Medicare. Subsequently, congressional leaders announced that additional provisions to address drug pricing and affordability will be added to this framework, which occurred after the AAN and other stakeholders expressed strong concerns about their exclusion from this deal.
The Nebraska Neurological Society held its inaugural meeting last Friday in Omaha, NE. It was started as an advocacy project of recent Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum attendee Michael Pichler, MD, of the University of Nebraska. Keynote speaker for the evening was Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN, who spoke about wellness and physician burnout; her talk was sponsored by the AAN.
The AAN held its 18th annual Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum virtually on October 28–30. Moderated by Umer Najib, MD, FAHS, 29 advocates learned media and grassroots skills to advance their advocacy action plans. Check out #AANPALF on Twitter to see more.
The AAN submitted a statement for the record for a House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing reiterating our support for the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 610/H.R. 1667), a bill to address burnout and mental health needs of health care providers.
Bipartisan negotiations over FY22 appropriations have begun, but already leaders are publicly stating that another continuing resolution beyond December may be needed.
On Tuesday, November 2, CMS published the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. This finalization of the proposed rule published in July incorporates feedback from many stakeholders, the AAN included. The AAN has produced a summary of the final rule that you can read here and will continue to work with CMS and other stakeholders to reduce regulatory burden and advance the practice of neurology.

Issue In Focus

The AAN, as part of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), has made momentous advancements in the prior authorization space. The signature bill to reform prior authorization in Congress, H.R. 3173, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, reached a significant milestone with over one-half of the US House of Representatives co-sponsoring this common sense, bipartisan legislation. Additionally, this bill was introduced in the Senate at the end of October, as S. 3018, highlighting another win for the Academy. Furthermore, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter from Congress to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging prior authorization reforms. The letter received massive support with 27 additional senators.

With the prior authorization reform now officially proposed in both chambers, combined with the Senate letter’s strong bipartisan support, this issue is well-positioned to move forward at the next opportunity.

What We're Reading

5- to 11-year-olds can now get a Covid-19 vaccine in the US (CNN)
FDA, NIH, and 15 private organizations join forces to increase effective gene therapies for rare diseases (FDA)
MGMA Survey Finds Major Increase in Regulatory Burden on Medical Practices (Medical Group Management Association)
Association Between COVID-19 Relief Funds and Hospital Characteristics in the US (JAMA Health Forum)
HHS proposes nixing controversial Trump-era 'sunset' rule due to massive resources needed for compliance (Fierce Healthcare)