Billy Wynne

Task Force Invites Comments on Draft Recommendation on Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Child Maltreatment; Comments Due September 25 The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is requesting comment on a draft recommendation statement and draft evidence review on primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment. The Task Force determined that the current evidence is…

Agencies Announce Public Workshops to Discuss the 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines; First Workshop Scheduled for September 5 The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced three upcoming public workshops to encourage discussion on the 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines. Last month, the agencies jointly released a draft update of the Merger Guidelines, which…

First 10 Drugs Selected for Medicare Drug Price Negotiations   The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for price applicability year 2026 (press release, CMS press release and fact sheet, ASPE fact sheet). Additional details follow. Drugs Selected: HHS details that the selected drugs accounted for $50.5…

Department Awards $23 Million to Strengthen Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it awarded approximately $23 million in funding through the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) to support and advance evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) programs. The goal of the TPP program is to prevent unintentional teen…

Agency Funds Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence Last week the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced $24 million in initial funding to establish Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence. NIH is funding these centers as part of the Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. The main goal of…

Agency Seeks Nominations for Non-Voting Representatives on the Maternal Mental Health Task Force, Due September 22nd The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a request for nominations for non-voting members to serve on the Maternal Mental Health Task Force subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Women’s Services (ACWS). The function of the ACWS…

Biden-Harris Administration’s Project NextGen Initiative Awards $1.4 Billion to Support Future COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under Project NextGen led by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), awarded over $1.4 billion to support…

Task Force Issues Grade ‘A’ Final Recommendation on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to Prevent Acquisition of HIV; Provides Clinical Discussion Guide to Support Conversations Between Providers and their Patients on PrEP The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final recommendation statement on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent acquisition of HIV. The Task Force issued…

Recent Developments Related to Health Equity, Maternal Health, Climate Change, and More Federal agencies have recently taken action related to maternal health, health equity, mental health, climate change and more. Additionally, a range of think tanks have published studies in these arenas. A round up of highlights is included below. Equity Biden Administration Release Resources…

Draft Part One Guidance for Maximum Monthly Cap on Cost-Sharing Payments Program Released; Comment Due September 20 Today, pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued draft part one guidance on a select set of topics for the Maximum Monthly Cap on Cost-Sharing Payments Program, which requires…