State Legislative Update
- The number of states that have adopted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact stands at 18. 6 states currently have active legislation, which the AAN is supporting. The compact offers an expedited licensing process for physicians interested in practicing medicine in multiple states.
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If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to improve your advocacy efforts, contact Grant Niver.
Federal Legislative Update
- · Congress passed the FY2017 spending bill, which includes $34 billion for the NIH, an increase of 6.2% from FY2016. The BRAIN Initiative received $260 million, which was a request of the AAN’s Neurology on the Hill effort in February. The bill also provided substantial increases in funding for Alzheimer’s disease, telehealth, and opioid abuse.
- · On May 4, 2017, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that repeals and replaces several provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Due to concerns about reduced access to health insurance coverage, the AAN and most other medical groups oppose the bill. The legislation will now advance to the Senate.
- · The Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act (HR. 1148/ S. 431), now has 80 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and seven bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate. The bill has also been included in several key legislative packages. On May 15, 2017, AAN member neurologist and American Heart Association advocate Lee H. Schwamm, MD, testified in support of this legislation before the Senate Finance Committee.
Stay up-to-date on #AANAdvocacy by reading the Capitol Hill Report and following the AAN’s Senior Legislative Counsel Mike Amery on Twitter at @MikeAmeryDC.
Medical Economics Update
- New resources are available for small neurology practices to comply with the MACRA Quality Payment Program. CMS has announced new regional organizations to provide hands-on support for practices with 15 or fewer clinicians. Practices should identify the organization in their state and contact them today.
- Neurologists can use the new MIPS Eligibility Tool to see if they are eligible to participate in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System in 2017.
- The AAN continues to work to reduce regulatory burdens for neurologists. AAN’s Regulatory Counsel participated in a meeting with HHS Secretary Tom Price in April to request reductions in regulatory burdens.
For more information on AAN practice resources, visit our webpage.
AAN Membership Update
Quality Update
- · The AAN and American Psychiatric Association released the dementia management quality measurement set update on May 1. The measures and publication are available online. Select dementia management measures are available in 2017 for use in CMS’ Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
- · The Axon Registry® has been designated a Quality Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for reporting year 2017 by CMS. This means the registry can report neurology specific quality measures under the MIPS program. Visit our website for information on how to join the Axon Registry and what it could do for your practice.
- · “Practice Guideline: Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Incidence Rates and Risk Factors” was published in Neurology during the Annual Meeting on April 24, 2017. It was codeveloped with the American Epilepsy Society and endorsed by the International Child Neurology Association.
- · “Practice Guideline: Reducing Brain Injury After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation,” was published online ahead of print in Neurology on May 10, 2017. It was endorsed by the Neurocritical Care Society.
Meeting Promotion Request Form
Ready to start promoting your upcoming meeting? Complete the new Neurosociety Meeting Promotion Request Form today to promote to all AAN members in your state!
Speaker Request Form
As you put together the agenda for your 2016 meetings, consider taking advantage of the AAN’s speaker program! We have expert speakers on topics such as ICD-10, MACRA, practice management, quality measures, telemedicine, and much more. To secure a speaker for your state meeting, please refer to the State Neurosociety Speaker Request Form.
