Efforts to advance legislation to reverse Medicare payment cuts and adopt long-term reforms continue to be one of neurosurgery’s top advocacy priorities.

On May 8, Anthony M. DiGiorgio, DO, MHA, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget at a hearing titled “Reducing Paperwork, Cutting Costs: Alleviating Administrative Burdens in Health Care.”

On Jan. 17, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized rules streamlining prior authorization in Medicare Advantage, state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) fee-for-service, Medicaid managed care, CHIP managed care and Qualified Health Plans on the federal exchange.

On July 26, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation — the Health Care Transparency Act (H.R.4822) — to reform prior authorization in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.

The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Washington Committee Firearms Task Force is conducting a brief survey of CNS/AANS members regarding their views and experience with firearms and member’s opinions regarding the involvement of organized neurosurgery in advocacy efforts to reduce firearm injury and death and to make firearm ownership as safe as possible.