SUBJECT: Neurosurgery Support for H.R. 594, Ellie’s Law
Dear Representative Clarke,
On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons (CNS), we are pleased to offer our support of your legislation, H.R. 594, Ellie’s Law.
An estimated six million people in the United States, or one in 50 people, have an unruptured brain
aneurysm. Each year, an estimated 30,000 people in the U.S. suffer a brain aneurysm rupture, 40 percent
of which are fatal. Of those who survive, about 66 percent suffer some permanent neurological deficit.
Additionally, the economic toll on survivors and their caretakers is significant, with the combined lost wages
approximating $138 million per year. Despite these startling statistics, the federal government spends only
about $5 million per year on brain aneurysm research, or 83 cents per American afflicted with the disease
each year. Notwithstanding its widespread prevalence, the federal funding for brain aneurysm research is
almost non-existent.
Importantly, Ellie’s Law would authorize additional funding for the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to specifically further our knowledge and understanding of brain aneurysms
and how to effectively manage and treat this condition.
Organized neurosurgery is very concerned about the current lack of federal funding devoted to brain
aneurysm research; specifically, those projects focused on prevention, detection, treatment, and
rehabilitation. We look forward to assisting in your efforts to pass this crucial legislation.
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