Capitol Hill Report: Congressional lame-duck session
October 21, 2024
Issue in focus
Congress is preparing for the lame-duck session—the period between the election and the start of the next Congress’s term—and weighing bills to include in a potential year-end legislative package. A wide array of items must be addressed despite very limited legislative days. Every voice counts to ensure the right health care priorities are included in a potential year-end package.
The Academy will continue to push on several priorities that need to be addressed before the end of the year, including:
- Protecting the health care workforce and access to care by preventing impending cuts to physician Medicare reimbursement set to go into effect in 2025, enacting reforms to statutory budget neutrality provisions, and passing the .
- Ensuring continued access to telehealth services by passing the CONNECT for Health Act (/) and ensuring continued access to telehealth prescribing of controlled substances.
- Streamlining utilization management processes in Medicare and employer-based health plans by passing the and addressing the burdensome prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage plans.
- Addressing the neurology workforce shortage through re-authorizing and expanding the Conrad 30 program by passing the .
- Investing in medical research and America’s veterans by supporting a variety of programs that provide robust, sustained funding for medical research and support for veterans with neurological conditions.
We need your help to show Congress that these important initiatives should make the list for inclusion in a year-end legislative package! Visit our to voice your support for many of the legislative items above.
Latest advocacy news
Congressional letter urges Senate leadership to protect telehealth access
Members of the last month urging Senate leadership to advance legislation that would protect access to telehealth for patients on Medicare. Without congressional action, pandemic-era Medicare telehealth flexibilities are set to expire on December 31. The letter pushed for the passage of the CONNECT for Health Act (/), a longstanding legislative priority of the AAN that would permanently extend telehealth flexibilities. The Academy continues to push for timely congressional action on telehealth.
AAN requests prioritization of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act
The AAN, in conjunction with the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), sent a letter last week to congressional leadership requesting Congress prioritize the passage of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (/). This legislation would codify recent regulatory changes that streamline the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans and help decrease administrative burden. The letter highlights significant improvements to the bill since its 2019 introduction to allow for its swift passage, including provisions that would decrease the cost of the bill. The AAN has been a longtime champion of this bill and has sent several letters in support of it. The Academy remains committed to advocating for prior authorization reform and continues to monitor developments at both the state and federal levels.
CMS requests RFI on proposed Medicare Drug Model
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed Medicare $2 Drug List Model. Under this model, beneficiaries enrolled in a participating Medicare prescription drug coverage plan would have a fixed copayment of no more than $2 for a month’s supply per drug. Along with the RFI, CMS provided a sample list of prescription drugs that the agency preliminarily intends to include in the model, including several commonly prescribed neurological medications. The AAN is currently reviewing the RFI and plans to submit comments
What we're reading
• FDA shakes up weight loss market as Mounjaro shortage ends ()
• Key Brain Protein Tied to Motivation and Mood Identified ()
• Does AI make patient portal responses better? Depends on who you ask ()