Billy Wynne

Ahead of Budget Release, President Biden Releases Plan for Extending Medicare Solvency Ahead of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget release, President Biden provided details on the Administration’s plan to extend Medicare solvency by 25 or more years and lower costs for beneficiaries. The White House details that the budget will feature the following…

Agency Announces New Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of L’Tonya Davis as its first permanent Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO). The CDIO will lead USDA’s ongoing efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and oversee the implementation of the USDA’s DEIA strategic plan.…

Commissioners Examine Implementation Considerations for Providing Pre-Release Medicaid Services to Adults Leaving Incarceration The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session to examine implementation considerations for states preparing to provide pre-release Medicaid services to justice-involved adults. Senior Analysts Lesley Baseman and Melinda Becker Roach presented an overview of California’s recently approved…

Commissioners Examine Countercyclical DSH Allotments; Commissioners Favor Recommending a Permanent ARPA-Like Policy The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session to discuss potential recommendations for countercyclical disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments. Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments offset hospital uncompensated care costs for Medicaid-enrolled and uninsured patients. During economic recessions, Medicaid…

Commissioners Begin Work on Potential Policy Recommendations to Enhance Capacity of State Medicaid FFS Programs The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is interested in developing recommendations for policies to help state Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) programs better serve beneficiaries. Today, a panel shared the perspectives of three states that use alternative approaches to…

Commission Discusses Focus Group Findings on the Experiences of Dual Eligibles in Integrated Care Models The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a presentation on the results of a focus group study on the experiences of individuals who are fully dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits and enrolled in integrated…

National Advisory Council Explores How Research Can Contribute To Firearm Injury Prevention; Hears from CDC and NIH Regarding Current and Future Initiatives Firearm injury prevention is a strategic imperative of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR). The Council held a meeting focused on the role nurse scientists and nursing research can play in…

Certain Surprise Billing IDR Proceedings Can Resume The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that certified independent dispute resolution (IDR) entities can resume processing payment determinations on February 27, 2023 for payment disputes involving items or services furnished before October 25, 2022 (February 24 notice).   As a result of the decision in…

Portal for Plans and Issuers to Submit Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation, Due Dec. 31, 2023 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the portal for group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to submit a Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation (GCPCA). Plans and issuers are…

Agency Announces Draft Research Plan on Interventions to Prevent Perinatal Depression The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a draft research plan on interventions to prevent perinatal depression. USPSTF aims to use data on population characteristics to explore the degree to which study findings are representative of different populations of persons at risk for…