Billy Wynne

CMS Announces Growth in ACO Initiatives The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced participation data for accountable care organization (ACO) initiatives in 2024. CMS reports that about 13.7 million people with Traditional Medicare are aligned to an ACO in 2024, which is a three percent increase since 2023 and represents nearly half of Traditional Medicare beneficiaries.…

Commission Panel Discusses How States are Sustaining and Evaluating New or Enhanced American Rescue Plan HCBS Investments The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a panel focused on policies and activities related to the public health emergency, particularly highlighting a crucial provision in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that provided states with additional…

Commissioners Discuss Findings from Interviews with Stakeholders on State Medicaid Agency Contracts to Inform Future Policy Options The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session to discuss key themes derived from interviews with key stakeholders regarding state Medicaid agency contracts (SMACs). The Commissioner’s discussion will inform future policy options to be presented at the…

Commission Explores Policy Options to Enhance the Transparency of Medicaid Financing; Will Vote on Options at April Meeting The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session to examine policy options for improving the transparency of Medicaid financing. Principal Analyst Rob Nelb explained how  the Medicaid statute allows states to fund the non-federal portion of…

Commission Approves Recommendations to Improve Managed Care Appeals Process For March 2024 Report to Congress The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) met to vote on updated recommendations to improve the managed care appeals process to be included in the March 2024 report to Congress. All of the recommendations were approved, but some commissioners…

Commissioners Discuss Areas For Future Work to Better Understand How Medicaid Payment Impacts Access The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a discussion about the findings from an expert roundtable on the effect of Medicaid payment changes on beneficiary access to physician services. The themes of this discussion will inform future MACPAC research. Background. Staff…

January Behavioral Health Highlights Below please find highlights from the Biden Administration’s recent announcements on improving behavioral health systems across the nation. HHS Releases Fact Sheet on the Agency’s Accomplishments Since Releasing the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration  Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration which includes specific…

Chair Requests Input on Reforms to Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage; Due March 15 House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued a request for information (RFI) to inform legislative reforms to employer-sponsored health care (press release). Comments are due March 15.   The RFI is part of the Committee’s efforts to lower costs and improve access…

Actions to Protect and Expand Access to Contraception As part of the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a series of new actions to protect and expand access to contraception (press release).   Letter to stakeholders on contraceptive coverage obligations: HHS reminds Medicare care plans, private…

Department Releases Guidance on FYI Program to Help Prevent Youth Homelessness Post-Foster Care The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released guidance aimed at preventing homelessness for young adults who have transitioned out of foster care. The guidance focuses on the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program, operated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides…