Billy Wynne

2024 Election Recap & 2025 Health Policy Outlook   Following the November 5th election, the Republicans are poised to have a “trifecta” and be in control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.  When all votes are counted and certified the Republicans are expected to have a 53-47 majority in the…

Sen. Stabenow Finally Releases Farm Bill Text Today, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act for Farm Bill reauthorization (press release; fact sheet; text). The legislation largely follows the framework Sen. Stabenow released in May (Impact summary), although the bill includes $39 billion in…

DEA Extends COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities Through December 31, 2025 The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) jointly issued a third temporary rule that extends the full set of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescription of controlled medications through December 31, 2025. What is it. The agencies note that…

CRS Releases Report Detailing Expiring Provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a detailed table on November 13 summarizing the expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). Many of these provisions, which impact individuals, families, and businesses, are scheduled to expire by the end of 2025.…

Commissioners Consider Whether to Extend A-APM Bonus Payments The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held a meeting to discuss the participation bonus for clinicians in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (A-APMS). Clinicians who meet certain thresholds for payment and patients in an A-APM receive the bonus payment as an incentive for A-APM participation. The five percent bonus was originally intended…

Commissioners Support Eliminating the 190-Day Lifetime Limit on Covered Days in Freestanding Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss the issue of Medicare’s coverage limits for inpatient psychiatric care in freestanding inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs). MedPAC staff presented recent data that underscores the negative impact of these limits…

Commissioners Support Annual Inflation-Based Update for Physician Payment; Will Make Recommendations to Improve Payment Accuracy The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss a policy option to update Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) rates as well as an option to improve the accuracy of these rates. Principal Policy Analysts Brian O’Donnell and Geoff Gerhardt reviewed…

Commissioners Examine MA-PD and PDP Markets; Discuss MA-PD Structural Advantages and Market Dynamics The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session on structural differences between the Part D standalone prescription drug plan (PDP) and the Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (MA-PD) markets. In the presentation, Senior Analyst Tara Hayes and Principal Policy Analysts Shinobu…

Agency Finalizes Estimated Payment Increase of 2.7 Percent to ESRD Facilities in CY2025 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its calendar year (CY) 2025 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS) final rule (fact sheet). Details follow. What it is. This final rule outlines ESRD PPS payment policies applying to dialysis…

Commissioners Examine Interview and Focus Group Findings on Transitions of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session focused on the challenges of transitions of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) as they move from pediatric…