Capitol Hill Report: AAN members meet in Washington, DC
February 24, 2025
Issue in focus
More than 200 AAN members are in Washington, DC, right now for Neurology on the Hill, an annual event where members meet with lawmakers and educate them about the critical role of neurologists in health care—and the need for key policy changes. If you want to add to the voice of your colleagues in Washington, DC, be sure to visit the to write your member of Congress today.
This year’s priority issues include:
Fix cuts to Medicare reimbursement: The AAN is urging Congress to remedy the cut to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor which went into effect on January 1st. Neurology on the Hill participants are also asking their legislators to include an inflationary adjustment in addition to the conversion factor fix, to account for year-over-year increases in the costs associated with delivering high-quality neurological care. In the House of Representatives, H.R. 879, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025, has been introduced to address both of these issues, so participants will be asking their members of the House to co-sponsor this crucial piece of legislation.
Ensure patient access to telehealth: The AAN is urging Congress to include a two-year extension of telehealth flexibilities in the upcoming reconciliation package. The scheduled expiration of flexibilities that were first put in place in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency represents a significant threat to access to care for Medicare beneficiaries. Neurology on the Hill participants will be urging their members of Congress to ensure this critical extension is included so that neurology patients do not lose access to a crucial modality of care.
Support and fund Neuroscience research: The AAN is urging Congress to support full funding for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the Brain Initiative. Neurology on the Hill participants will be ensuring that their representatives understand that funding for NINDS and the BRAIN Initiative is essential to promote neuroscience discoveries and cures for neurological disease. It is crucial that we can continue to discover new mechanisms to treat neurological conditions and have America at the forefront of discoveries that provide a more comprehensive understanding of the brain.
Latest advocacy news
AAN joins sign-on letter supporting Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act
The AAN joined a sign-on letter this month, led by the American Medical Association (AMA), urging House and Senate leadership to include the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming March 2025 spending package. This bill would retroactively alleviate 2024 and 2025 Medicare payment cuts and provide for a partial inflationary update in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The AAN has been working tirelessly to advocate for an inflationary update and other reforms to the fee schedule.
Action Alert: Urge your legislators to support neuroscience research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced earlier this month that it will be capping the amount of grant funding that can be used on “indirect cost” at 15%. The AAN is concerned that this sudden change could diminish the nation’s capacity to continue cutting-edge neuroscience research, slow down progress towards finding novel cures and treatments, and—ultimately—hurt the patients treated by AAN members. Please urge your lawmakers to support congressionally funded neuroscience research.
What we're reading
- Courts Try To Curb Health Cuts (Podcast – )
- Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures ()