National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System
Policy and Legislative Background
The National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (NNCSS) was introduced in the 114th Congress as the Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act of 2015 (H.R. 292/S. 849). The legislation garnered 129 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 27 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate. The language was included and signed into law in the 21st Century Cure Act in Section 2061 (Public Law No. 114-255). The NNCSS at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will collect data to improve neurologic research. The 21st Century Cures Act authorized $5 million a year for the NNCSS from 2018-2022. The National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System received $5 million in Fiscal Year 19 appropriations and we are working for continued funding in Fiscal Year 2020. While the NNCSS is first assessing Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis, we continue to work toward having Tourette Syndrome assessed in future years.
What would the NNCSS do?
NNCSS would collect information to provide a foundation for the evaluation and understanding of neurological conditions, such as: Incidence and prevalence; Geographic clusters of conditions; Demographic (age, sex, race) variability; Outcome measures; and Healthcare practices and utilization. NNCSS will utilize information from existing databases and sources such as Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs, as well as private insurance. This data will help to refine and target research and allow for better anticipation of healthcare needs and more efficient utilization of resources.
