AANEM Hosted its 10th Annual Day on Capitol Hill

AANEM hosted its 10th Annual Day on Capitol Hill on September 18, 2023. AANEM State Liaisons from around the country returned to Washington, DC for the first in-person Hill Day since 2020. AANEM State Liaisons met key legislative offices to educate Senators and Representatives about electrodiagnostic (EDX) medicine and the current challenges facing the patient and professional community.

The Liaisons’ primary purpose for their congressional visits was to garner support for AANEM’s continued efforts to advance quality standards for EDX medicine to both improve patient care and stop fraud and abuse in this area. Specifically, they spoke with members of Congress to support AANEM’s legislation, H.R. 2639 -- “Electrodiagnostic Medicine Patient Protection and Fraud Elimination Act of 2023,” which was introduced earlier this year by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX), a longstanding friend and supporter of AANEM. H.R. 2639 aims to ensure that patients receive the right tests at the right time by creating a compliance mechanism for existing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rules governing EDX studies requiring professionals performing the studies demonstrate that they have the proper equipment along with the proper training to perform/supervise tests and make a diagnosis.

The liaisons also asked the offices to support the bipartisan “Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act” (S. 1302/H.R. 2389). This important legislation seeks to address the growing shortage of physicians by increasing the number of Medicare supported residency positions by over 14,000 over 7 years.

Finally, the liaisons asked the offices to increase funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This standard investment would serve to ensure meaningful progress in a variety of research portfolios and bring benefits to patients facing serious and life-altering neuromuscular conditions.

The visits were well received, with several of the congressional offices now familiar with AANEM and our efforts. The offices were supportive of our cause and appeared eager to assist in moving our legislation forward. We will continue to keep you informed as AANEM works to gain co-sponsors for H.R. 2639 and a Senate Companion bill. AANEM’s State Liaisons will continue to build relationships with lawmakers and advocate for quality EDX testing.

If you are interested in getting involved in any of the AANEM advocacy efforts or just want to learn more, contact the AANEM policy department at policy@aanem.org. Visit the Action Center and Guide to Legislative Advocacy to learn more about how to set up a visit and talk with your legislators.