Washington Committee
Liaison Chair: Tiffany R. Hodges, MD, and Andrew Sloan, MD
A major update for the Washington Committee is the addition of Charlotte Pineda as the new head of the AANS/CNS Washington Office, which was effective July 1, 2024. As Katie Orrico, JD, is transitioning to her new role as AANS CEO, Charlotte brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in health policy and advocacy, spending the last eight years on Capitol Hill and holding positions in the U.S. House of Representatives. She holds a Master of Public Policy in science and technology from George Mason University, a business certificate in finance and marketing from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and international affairs from the University of South Florida.
As an update to prior authorization reform legislation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the second rule to improve the prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage, CHIP, Medicaid managed care and ACA-established Qualified Health Plans. This rule is being analyzed and compared to provisions of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173/S. 3018) to assign how well the final rule aligns with our signature legislation to improve prior authorization. Given the Congressional Budget Office’s previous cost estimate, some adjustments to the legislation may need to be made to lower the cost, getting it as close to zero as possible.
In addition, the National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network (NCCN) has updated the NCCN Guidelines to include LITT as an option for “patients who are poor surgical candidates (craniotomy or resection). Potential indications include relapsed brain metastases, radiation necrosis, glioblastomas and other gliomas.” The established LITT clinical evidence has driven this expansion and led to the updated Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Central Nervous System Cancers. Please refer to their website for further details.
With a rapidly changing and challenging health care climate, the Washington Committee will remain steadfast in engaging our policymakers on the issues that affect neurosurgeons and our patients. Members of the AANS/CNS Tumor Section are encouraged to communicate with Tiffany R. Hodges, MD, FAANS, FCNS and Andrew Sloan, MD, FAANS who serve as the Tumor Section liaisons to bring issues or concerns to our Washington Committee. You can stay informed on health care policy topics by subscribing to the Neurosurgery Blog and following the Washington Committee on Twitter @neurosurgery and also on their website. Finally, periodic updates are available via AANS and CNS publications and through presentations at neurosurgery meetings.