Billy Wynne

CY 2025 MA and Part D Policy and Technical Changes Proposed Rule Includes Proposals to Advance Behavioral Health and Address Broker Compensation The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Contract Year (CY) 2025 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) proposed…

Commissioners Discuss State Requirements Across Section 1915 Authorities for HCBS Programs; Will Explore Policy Options in January Meeting The Medicaid Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a session to discuss federal requirements related to Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) across different Section 1915 authorities that states use to run these programs. MACPAC staff provided…

Commissioners Discuss Hospice Workplan; New Work will Examine End-of-Life Care for Beneficiaries with End-Stage Renal Disease The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss its workplan concerning hospice and end-of-life care. MedPAC staff provided an overview of new and ongoing projects the Commission is undertaking over the next eighteen months, including assessing…

Commissioners Discuss Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss the new Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) program established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (based on a MedPAC recommendation). The legislation requires MedPAC to review payment to REHs annually starting in 2024. In preparation, MedPAC Senior…

Commissioners Divided on Payment Policy for Software as a Medical Service The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session on software as a medical service (SaaS) and prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs). The staff provided an overview of current coverage and payment for SaaS and software as a medical device (SaMD) under the different Medicare payment streams…

Agency Finalizes 3.4 Percent Decrease for CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule (press release; fact sheet; MSSP fact sheet; QPP fact sheet), which addresses an array of policies under Medicare Part B and…

Agency Seeks Input on Strengthening Broadband Tools to Address Disparities and Improve Maternal Health The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) soliciting input on ways to enhance its “Mapping Broadband Health in America” platform to leverage digital health tools for maternal care improvement. The platform facilitates data-driven decision-making at the intersection…

Agency Estimates CY 2024 Home Health Agency Payments to Increase by 0.8 Percent; Finalizes to Implement Half of the Permanent Behavioral Assumption Adjustment The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the cycle year (CY) 2024 home health prospective payment and rate update final rule (fact sheet). What it is. The final rule updates…

EHC Program Requesting Public Comment on Delivering Clinical Preventative Services for People with Disabilities The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) Effective Health Care (EHC) Program is requesting public comments on challenges and barriers for people with disabilities to receive clinical preventative services. The review seeks to: (1) compile and summarize the key obstacles…

Report Finds Internal Process Issues That Led to the Failure of CDC’s First COVID-19 Test Kit The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initial COVID-19 test kit failure. After researchers in China posted the genome sequence…