capitol hill report: PUSHING CONGRESS FOR MORE BRAIN BUCKS

April 25, 2022

Latest Advocacy News

• Extension of Public Health Emergency (PHE): Effective April 16, the COVID-19 PHE has been extended for another 90 days, until July 15. This extension allows for the continuation of policies and regulatory flexibilities, including those relating to telehealth, that have proven critical to maintaining access to care throughout the pandemic. The Biden administration has committed to giving at least 60 days’ notice before letting the PHE expire. Additionally, in alignment with the AAN’s advocacy, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 will allow for a continuation of telehealth flexibilities for 151 days following the expiration of the PHE.
• Seeking Candidates for AAN’s Delegation to AMA: The House of Delegates (HOD) is the legislative and policy-making body of the American Medical Association (AMA). HOD meetings provide state and national medical societies from across the country the opportunity to provide input on the AMA’s top policy priorities. The AAN is seeking a committed volunteer to join the AAN’s delegation for the upcoming meeting on June 10–15 in Chicago, IL. If you are both an AAN and AMA member, have prior state medical society experience or a strong interest in health care policy, and are interested in joining the AAN’s delegation for this meeting, please share your interest and qualifications to advocacy@aan.com by April 29.

Issue in Focus

Each year, Congress undergoes an extensive process to determine which government programs will be funded for the next fiscal year―and at what levels. In an ideal world, this process begins in the spring and ends no later than September, by the close of the federal government’s fiscal year. Realistically, Congress often falls behind in their annual work, requiring several “continuing resolutions” before finally agreeing on updated funding levels. For the current fiscal year 2022, it took until March for Congress to finally pass a final government funding bill that included several key AAN advocacy wins, including retaining telehealth flexibilities for a period beyond the public health emergency, historic levels of funding for medical research, and ensuring high-quality neurologic care for American’s veterans.

Congress quickly turned its attention to the next fiscal year appropriations for 2023—and so too has the AAN. For fiscal year 2023, the Academy is requesting that Congress continue to invest in the following critical programs, including:

• $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health
• $2.882 billion for the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• $980 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program
• $680 million for the BRAIN Initiative
• $500 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Increased investment to maintain and expand the Department of Veterans Affairs Neurology Centers of Excellence, including at least $19 million for epilepsy; $25 million for headache; $5 million for multiple sclerosis; and $16 million for Parkinson’s disease
• $25 million to create a new Neurology Center of Excellence at the FDA

What We're Reading

• The Telehealth Era Is Just Beginning (Harvard Business Review)
• As FDA offers breakthrough designation to device makers, patients and providers are left with questions (STAT)
• CMS releases health equity strategy centering on outreach, data collection (Fierce Healthcare)