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Read the Academy's bi-weekly update on legislative and regulatory advocacy for neurology.

December 22, 2025

A year of advocacy

We’ve got your back on Capitol Hill—and we’re in overdrive advocating for you and your patients. Capitol Hill Report is your source for all things neurology advocacy, so keep reading and sharing to stay up to date. Plus, we want to hear from you: Let us know if your practice, research, or patients are affected by recent policy changes.

Issue in focus

Advocacy was front and center in 2025 for the AAN. In a year fraught with uncertainty and threats to medicine, AAN members stood up and made their voices heard—advocating for their practice, their profession, and their patients. As we move into a new year and face new challenges, the AAN will continue to be the leading voice fighting for you. Whether it’s in Washington, DC, or state capitals across the country, we’ll continue to have your back.  

A year of advocacy
Neurology on the Hill 
The AAN brought nearly 200 members to Washington, DC, this year to advocate on behalf of neurology. These advocates took time away from patient care to talk to 280 congressional offices about the top issues facing their practice and their patients, including reforms to physician reimbursement under Medicare, access to telehealth, and support for neuroscience research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  

Presidential Plenary 
Advocacy took the main stage at the 2025 AAN Annual Meeting, with Immediate Past President Carlayne E. Jackson, MD, FAAN, using her Presidential Plenary to share the importance of advocacy. She led a panel of accomplished AAN advocates who illustrated how their work is pushing for change, helping their patients, addressing issues like burnout, and promoting health equity. Jackson was joined by Brain and Life^® Editor-in-Chief Sarah Song, MD, MPH, FAAN, for a short training session on how to get started as an advocate.

Neurology off the Hill 
Advocacy doesn’t just happen during Neurology on the Hill—it’s something that happens 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s why the AAN helps members meet with their representatives during the August recess, when members of Congress leave DC and connect with their constituents back home. We saw record participation in Neurology off the Hill this year, with over 150 AAN advocates meeting with their representatives to push for a permanent extension of telehealth flexibilities and prior authorization reform. These meetings help solidify connections made during Neurology on the Hill and establish our members as trusted, local resources for congressional staff.  

Taking action for you and your patients  
AAN members stepped up and made their voices heard in record numbers this year, with over 2,000 AAN members sending over 13,000 letters to their state and federal lawmakers to advocate for issues like neuroscience research funding, telehealth access, and physician payment reform. It only takes a minute of your time to join your colleagues, so check out the and make your voice heard!  

Advocacy highlights from 2025
The AAN constantly advocated for members in 2025, through our full-time advocacy staff in Washington, DC, by working with colleagues from across the house of medicine, and by providing our members the tools they need to stand up for their practice and their patients. Here are some highlights—including both victories and areas where there’s still more work to be done. 

• We sent dozens of comment letters, consistently standing up for our priority issues of neuroscience research and brain health, access to care, reducing administrative burden, and strengthening the neurology workforce.
• We gave advocates in the US and around the globe the tools to create positive change in their communities through the Global Advocacy Leadership Program and the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, which together provided opportunities for 48 AAN members.
• Our advocacy for neurologist compensation helped secure a 2.5% increase to the Medicare conversion factor. Further, based on changes in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, neurology is expected to receive an additional 1% increase in payments as a specialty.
• Robust funding for neuroscience is a necessity for both patients today and the future of brain health. We know how important this is to you—and we took a flurry of actions in 2025 to support federal funding for neuroscience research. We specifically supported, through direct AAN lobbying or , increased funding for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the BRAIN Initiative, ARPA-H, and other funding streams for the neurosciences.
• Prior authorization burden is another major issue for neurologists and their patients. We’ve seen positive movement in a number of states on AAN-supported prior authorization reform bills. At the federal level, we saw reintroduction of both the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act and the Safe Step Act, and continue to push for key guardrails to protect patient access to care.
• We’re pushing back hard on recent actions to limit J-1 and H1-B visas, both of which have an important role in strengthening the US neurology workforce. This advocacy is still in progress, but the Resident ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú Deferred Interest (REDI) Act—legislation that would provide interest-free deferment of student loans for medical and dental residents—has been reintroduced. Also promising is the reintroduction of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would fund 14,000 new residency slots over seven years. 

Looking ahead
There is still much more to be done in 2026—and we can’t do it without your help. As we work with Congress to address telehealth extension, physician reimbursement, insurer-mandated barriers to care, neuroscience research funding, and so many other issues that impact you and your patients, we need your support to make our message all the more impactful. Sign up for our Political Outreach for Neurological Support (PONS) network to get information on how you can help stand up for neurology next year.

Learn about BrainPAC
One way to support AAN advocacy right now is to make a gift to , neurology’s political action committee. This year alone, BrainPAC facilitated more than 200 face-to-face conversations with federal lawmakers, providing critical access that neurologists and the AAN would not otherwise have. These conversations elevated key neurology priorities and strengthened relationships that allow our voice to be heard year after year. A year-end contribution to BrainPAC is an investment in continued access, influence, and effective advocacy for our patients and our profession.

All contribution levels play a vital role in BrainPAC’s success. To recognize our most generous members, donors who contribute $1,000 or more by the end of 2025 will receive a custom BrainPAC scarf, and those who give $2,500 or more will receive a limited-edition pair of BrainPAC-branded Converse shoes. These tokens of appreciation recognize the exceptional commitment of supporters who go above and beyond to strengthen BrainPAC’s impact and advance AAN advocacy. *

If you have any questions about our work in 2025 or how we will continue to fight for neurology in Washington, DC, and across the country, please contact us at advocacy@aan.com. 

Wishing you all the best as we wrap up this year and look forward to the next. 

 
Latest advocacy news

AAN releases updated position statement 
The AAN released an updated position statement, “Securing necessary neurological care for military personnel and veterans with brain and nervous system injury.” This statement complements our work around funding for all four VA Neurology Centers of Excellence, as well as continuing research to prevent and treat a myriad of brain and nervous system injuries.  

AAN asks Congress to prioritize passing the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act
The AAN joined numerous organizations, led by the American Medical Association, in asking congressional leadership to prioritize swift passage of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act. This bill would help reduce the burden of prior authorization on AAN members by requiring Medicare Advantage plans to set up an electronic prior authorization process and promote transparency by establishing reporting requirements for approval and denial data and the use of AI tools in decision-making. 

AAN joins sign-on letter for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health 
The AAN signed onto a stakeholder letter asking leaders of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, and Related Agencies to appropriate at least $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in FY26. Established by Congress in 2022, this program builds on the NIH’s foundational work by funding innovative projects beyond the scope of traditional public and private funding. 

What we're reading

• Former NIH scientist sues Trump administration, claims illegal firing over research cuts |
• One Big Beautiful Bill Act Complicates State Health Care Affordability Efforts |
• Use of Independent Medical Review: Almost One-Half Of Coverage Denials Overturned |

*Contributions to BrainPAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. The maximum amount that an individual can contribute to BrainPAC is $5,000 per year. Contributions from foreign nationals in any amount are prohibited by federal law. All contributions to BrainPAC are voluntary. If this solicitation suggests a contribution in a particular amount, it is only a suggestion. You may give more, less, or nothing at all, and the amount given, or your refusal to give, will not benefit or disadvantage you in any way in your employment. All contributions will be used in connection with federal elections by providing monetary contributions and other support to candidates for federal office. Federal law requires us to use best efforts to collect and report the name, address, occupation, and employer of each individual whose aggregate contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.