Parkinson’s Community Secures Wins in FY 2026 Federal Budget
The Parkinson’s community has a lot to celebrate with the passage of the final FY2026 federal spending package that was signed into law on February 3, 2026. The package includes $5 million for the National Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services, $5 million for the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System, and reinstates the Congressional Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) Parkinson’s Research Program with a $16 million commitment for FY2026 (more on each of these below).
“APDA is pleased that Congress reaffirmed its commitment to people living with Parkinson’s with a $5M appropriation for the National Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services,” said Anne Hubbard, APDA’s Chief Public Policy Officer. “Now we need the Department of Health and Human Services to officially seat the Council so that it can begin the critical work of guiding federally funded Parkinson’s research, care, and prevention, as well as identifying solutions for reducing financial burden and improving outcomes.”
These wins come on the heels of the November 2025 continuing resolution which included $80 million for the Veteran Affairs (VA) Administration’s Neurology Centers of Excellence – $16 million of which is designated for the VA’s six Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs).
In addition to the investments in Parkinson’s disease research, the FY2026 package includes an extension of existing Medicare telehealth coverage policies through December 31, 2026. APDA is actively working with a broad range of advocacy groups to secure permanent Medicare telehealth coverage policies.
As a reminder, the federal fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30, thus the FY2026 appropriations are for October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.
Digging Deeper
National Parkinson’s Plan
In 2024, the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (P.L. 118-66) was enacted establishing the National Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services. The FY2026 $5 million appropriation is for the implementation of the act which will be initiated with the seating of the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is charged with the evaluation and prioritization of federally funded initiatives in Parkinson’s research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, clinical care, and institutional-, home-, and community-based programs. They also include identifying ways to reduce the financial burden of Parkinson’s disease, improve health outcomes and quality of care, and address environmental triggers and underlying factors contributing to Parkinson’s disease. Despite the law being enacted in 2024, this Advisory Council had still not been seated at the end of 2025.
In early January, APDA joined others in the Parkinson’s community to advocate for the seating of the Advisory Council. It is our understanding that appointments have finally been made. We are awaiting a public announcement of those appointments and will continue to monitor developments associated with the Council.
The National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System
In 2016, as part of the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress authorized the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to initiate development of the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (NNCSS). The NNCSS is evaluating a variety of data sources and analytic methods to create an efficient approach for collecting and synthesizing surveillance data that will increase understanding of neurological disorders and facilitate further research. The FY2026 $5 million appropriation is allotted to additional surveillance, epidemiology, and informatics analysis that will be used for both Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Parkinson’s Disease
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) Parkinson’s Research Program (PRP) was cut as part of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025. The FY2026 funding package reinstates the program with a $16M commitment. The PRP was established to support high impact Parkinson’s research that alters disease progression, improves disease symptoms, and develops treatments that benefit Service Members and their families, Veterans, and the general public.
Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs)
The PADRECCs were created in 2001 to serve the estimated 110,000 Veterans affected by PD by providing state-of-the-art clinical care, education, research, and national outreach and advocacy. They assist Veterans in effectively managing PD and other movement disorders by way of VA pharmacy benefits, physical, occupational, and speech therapies, medical equipment, surgical services, and other valuable resources. The 2026 funding package represents a $1.5 million increase in funding for the PADRECCs.
There is still much work to be done, and we will continue to keep our PD community informed as progress develops. If you are interested in learning more about PD advocacy news and ways you can get involved, please fill out this simple form so we can keep you posted.