Academy Submits Comments to US House Regarding Proposed Health Care Legislation

July 1, 2009

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The AAN Professional Association has submitted a comment letter to the chairs of the US House Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee, regarding the recent release of the House Democrats health reform legislation, otherwise known as the Tri-Committee health care plan.

Written by the Democratic chairs of the Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, and Education & Labor Committees, the Tri-Committee health care plan eliminates the physician reimbursement plan known as the "Sustainable Growth Rate" (SGR), provides a positive update for 2010, and then reverts to a two-tiered SGR that will provide most CPT codes with an annual increase of one or two percent. It also provides a five or ten percent increase reserved for primary care physicians.

Some highlights of the Academy's seven-page response include:

• Strong support for the replacement of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Formula
• Support for the expansion and enhancement of Medicare beneficiary access to telehealth services.
• Support a five to ten percent bonus payment that is applied to principal care physicians in addition to primary care physicians.
• Suggested provisions regarding Comparative Effectiveness Research
• Discussion of an alternative plan that focuses on patient needs and benefits cognitive care physicians like neurologists

Read the Academy’s Letter to the House of Representatives.

For more questions, contact Mike Amery, Legislative Counsel at mamery@aan.com.