Press and Media
View the latest AANEM Achievement Award winners, the American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF) Abstract Award winners, and the latest AANEM news articles on News Express.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will be content of abstracts be viewable, as opposed to just the titles?
A: The abstract content will be available at the annual meeting during the Poster Hall hours. We do not provide abstract presenter information or slides ahead of time. All available information can be found in the AANEM Abstract Guide online when it becomes available.
Q: How do I reach out to abstract or session presenters for an interview?
A: We do not offer member contact information. To connect with abstract or session presenters, review the AANEM Annual Meeting Program when available. Find the topics of interest and connect with the presenter after their lecture or during their abstract poster session time. Currently there is no interview option for virtual attendees.
Q: When can I share information?
A: The embargo on the abstracts themselves is lifted when they have been published in Muscle & Nerve and online in the AANEM Abstract Guide. However, the additional information beyond what is in the abstract itself is still embargoed.
AANEM requires information that goes beyond that which is contained within the abstract, e.g., the release of data not included in the abstract, discussion of the abstract done as part of a scientific presentation, etc. to be embargoed until the start of the annual meeting. Please see the Abstract Embargo Policy.
Q: Will the Abstract Award Reception feature the best posters?
A: The Abstract Award Reception is a social hour in honor of the abstract award winners where all authors, including award winners, will be available to discuss research.
Q: Original research is ONLY presented as posters, correct?
A: Yes - the research is presented in the Poster Hall via abstract posters.
Botulinum Toxin LCD Coverage Update
A recently implemented Novitas and First Coast Local Coverage Determination (LCD) and companion billing article for botulinum toxin significantly narrowed the ICD-10 diagnoses under which chemodenervation is considered medically appropriate. The policy excluded common paralysis diagnoses such as paraplegia and monoplegia because the codes do not explicitly reference “spasticity,” raising concerns about inappropriate coverage denials for patients with spasticity following stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neuromuscular conditions routinely evaluated and treated by AANEM members.
AANEM has been closely tracking this issue and engaged with AAPM&R and AAN to understand its implications for NM patient care, documentation, and coding practices. Following sustained advocacy led by AAPM&R and supported by physiatry stakeholders, including AANEM, the MAC medical directors agreed to a short-term solution: paralysis codes such as paraplegia and monoplegia may now be used when paired with ICD10 code M62.838 (other muscle spasm), restoring coverage for many appropriate chemodenervation cases.
AANEM and other specialty societies will continue to engage with CMS and the MACs on longer-term solutions, including potential targeted ICD-10 revisions to more accurately reflect spasticity associated with paralysis without requiring workaround coding combinations.