Billy Wynne

Agency Examines Variations and Oversight in Medicaid’s EPSDT Prior Authorization Process The Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study on Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, examining how managed care plans authorize services for children and how states oversee this process. The EPSDT benefit, mandated by federal law, ensures eligible children…

House Republicans Introduce 340B Legislation to Increase Transparency and Oversight of Program Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Buddy Carter (R-GA), and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced the 340B Affording Care for Communities and Ensuring a Strong Safety-Net (340B ACCESS) Act, which aims to increase oversight and transparency of the 340B program (press release). Additional details follow. Bill…

House Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill Reauthorization After Lengthy Partisan Debate The House Agriculture Committee convened a markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (H.R. 8467), the House Republicans’ proposal to reauthorize the Farm Bill. There were several areas of disagreement, most notably the provision that would prevent a future Secretary from increasing the value…

2024 Resources for Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released 2024 resources for the attestation of compliance with the prohibition on gag clauses on price and quality information in provider agreements (instructions; user manual, and template). Background. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, group health plans and…

Senate Finance Committee Members Debate Policies to Combat Illicit Fentanyl, Agree on the Benefits of Telehealth for Behavioral Health Services The Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing to discuss opportunities in the health care system to improve addiction treatment, grow primary prevention, and combat the fentanyl public health crisis. Democrats used the hearing to ask…

House Budget Committee Discuss Addressing Consolidation in Health Care Markets, PBM Reform, Rising Costs, and Medicare Physician Fees EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The House Budget Committee convened a hearing to discuss the budgetary effects of increasing health care consolidation and explored policy solutions to enhance competition and reduce health care costs. With bipartisan consensus emerging on critical…

USDA Announces Summer Nutrition Programs to Help Tackle Hunger and Improve Healthy Eating for Children The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced the launch of SUN Programs: USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids to address nutrition security during the summer months (press release). These programs offer families various options to…

Senators Broadly Support Food is Medicine he Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security convened a hearing to discuss food is medicine initiatives. Policy Outlook. Senators from both parties were very supportive of food is medicine programs like medically tailored meals (MTMs) and produce prescription programs. While there are a number…

Committee Explores Patent Abuse and PBM Transparency to Address Rising Drug Prices; NIH Requests Comments on Policy for Equitable NIH-Owned Medicine Access The Senate Judiciary Committee convened a hearing to examine competition in the prescription drug market, focusing on ensuring affordable and accessible medications. The Committee scrutinized with experts and patient advocates the range of…

Department Releases $2 Million Special Emphasis Notice for AI and Behavioral Health Projects; Applications Due July 12 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), announced a Special Emphasis Notice (SEN) for the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology (Health…