Billy Wynne

ASPE Releases Report Featuring Key Findings From the First Year of Implementing IRA Provisions Regarding Medicare Drug Coverage On the First Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a comprehensive report outlining the impact of the…

Department Releases Comprehensive Language Access Plan for Equitable Services and Engagement The Department of Justice (DOJ) released an updated Language Access Plan aimed at providing equal access to its programs, activities, and services for individuals regardless of their language proficiency (press release). The plan outlines strategies for improving translation and interpretation services, ensuring quality assurance,…

Commission Releases Proposed Regulations to Implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; Comments Due by Oct. 10 The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).  The NPRM outlines how the EEOC proposes to implement the law with the intention of ensuring that…

CMS Releases RFA for Making Care Primary Model; Applications Due by Nov. 30 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a Request for Application (RFA) detailing payment, care delivery, quality, and other policies for the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model (Impact Health summary). Interested applicants may apply to the model later this…

Issue Brief Highlights the Potential of Medicaid Managed Care to Increase Health Equity in Mental Health A July publication from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation entitled Medicaid Managed Care Strategies to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Mental Healthcare for Adults outlines strategies for states to utilize their Medicaid managed care (MMC) programs in…

HHS Awards $88 Million in Grants to Further Address Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $88 million to programs aimed at further improving behavioral health. These initiatives seek to address a wide range of needs,…

Letters to States Provide Insights Into Medicaid Unwinding: Call Center Operations, Procedural Terminations, and MAGI Application Processing Time The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published letters sent to state Medicaid agencies regarding the status of states’ efforts to comply with federal eligibility and reporting requirements during the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment…

ASPE Releases Report Analyzing New Hospital Ownership Data The Office of Health Policy at the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) recently released a report analyzing new federal data on hospital ownership. The report is based on ownership data for all U.S. hospitals enrolled in Medicare that was publicly released by the Centers for…

Senators Investigate Potential Abuses of Tax-Exempt Status by Nonprofit Hospitals: Seeking Greater Transparency and Accountability Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) requested the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to evaluate nonprofit hospitals’ compliance with their tax-exempt requirements (full…

Biden-Harris Administration Launches EMS HeatTracker to Combat Rising Heatwave Impact The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), launched the Heat-Related Illness EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard, known as the “EMS HeatTracker.” This groundbreaking online platform maps emergency…