capitol hill report: MACRA, PRIOR AUTHORIZATION, AND AMA RESOLUTIONS

June 26, 2023

Latest Advocacy News

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing titled “MACRA Checkup: Assessing Implementation and Challenges That Remain for Patients and Doctors.” This is the first hearing Congress has held on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) since its implementation. Learn more.
Congress sent letters to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urging CMS to finalize pending rules that would rein in the overreaches of Medicare Advantage plans that delay and deny care through utilization management tools like prior authorization. Both letters were signed by 233 representatives and 61 senators. The AAN, as a part of the Regulatory Relief Coalition, was instrumental in encouraging this widespread support from Congress in this effort to reform prior authorization.
On June 13, the AAN submitted comments in response to a proposed rule from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology relating to policies impacting key electronic functionality including electronic prior authorization, information sharing, and the integration of artificial intelligence in electronic health record technology. The AAN’s comments included critical feedback on how to enhance transparency and the trustworthiness of decision support interventions, how to reduce prior authorization related burdens, and how to modify existing policy to promote interoperable data exchange.

Issue in Focus

Over 700 delegates gathered in Chicago June 9–14 for the American Medical Association’s (AMA) annual House of Delegates meeting. With several hundred pages worth of resolutions brought to the House, the AMA House body reaffirmed current and passed new policy that will benefit neurology.

First and foremost, the AMA reaffirmed policy and recommitted to fixing the Medicare physician payment system as its number one priority. The House underscored just how important reforming the system is and focused on the need to tie payments to changes in the Medicare Economic Index. The policies adopted by the House will allow the AMA to continue its advocacy for fair reimbursement, including an inflationary update. Urge your representative to support the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act.

Additionally, the AAN cosponsored a resolution adopted by the House directing the AMA to work with publishing and professional organizations and Congress to raise awareness of possible adverse consequences of the proposed NIH Public Access plan. The proposed plan could negatively impact the success of many specialty society journals by forcing immediate public access to federally funded research. The resolution creates a mitigation tactic for these consequences and will ensure continued equitable access to quality clinical research.

If you’re interested in learning more about the AAN’s efforts at the House of Delegates or how you can get involved, please contact us at advocacy@aan.com.

What We're Reading

‘It’s beyond unethical’: Opaque conflicts of interest permeate prescription drug benefits (STAT)
International Rights Group Calls Out US for Allowing Hospitals to Push Millions Into Debt (KFF Health News)