Billy Wynne

SAMHSA Awards $31.5 Million in Grants to Support the Mental Health and Well-Being of Children, Youth, and Young Adults The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $31.5 million in grant awards to support behavioral health in children, youth, and young adults. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this…

Study Demonstrates Increased Understanding of Prevalence of Treatment of Mental Health Disorders Among Key Populations The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the results of the Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study (MDPS). The study aimed to fill the gaps in understanding mental illness by including populations such as individuals experiencing homelessness…

OIG Establishes Civil Monetary Penalties for Information Blocking The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a final rule establishing the civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for information blocking that were created by the 21st Century Cures Act. The rule also makes clear OIG’s authority to investigate claims of information blocking.  Information…

Department Holds Pride Summit Highlighting Key Actions for LGBTQI+ Support The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a Pride Summit to celebrate Pride month and discuss support for the LGBTQI+ community. The HHS Pride Summit aimed to highlight the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration in improving access to health care services, promoting health…

CMS Anticipates 1.6 Percent Payment Increase for ESRD Facilities in CY 2024; Comments due August 25th The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its calendar year (CY) 2024 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule (fact sheet). Details follow. What it is. This proposed rule outlines ESRD PPS payment policies…

Oversight Subcommittee Examine MACRA Implementation; Discuss Potential Reforms to MIPS, APMs The House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (O&I) convened a hearing to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) – specifically, the two tracks in the Quality Payment Program (QPP): (1)…

Agencies Launch Joint Technical Assistance Center to Improve Access to School-Based Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in collaboration with the Department of Education (ED) launched the School-Based Services (SBS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center. CMS states that this TA center will enhance the provision of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)…

President Biden Issues Executive Order on Strengthening Access to Contraception: Includes Actions to Improve Affordability, Expand Over-the-Counter Availability, and Support Vulnerable Populations President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) focused on improving access to affordable and high-quality contraception and family planning services (fact sheet). This order aims to address the crisis in women’s access to…

Proposed Policy for Transitional Coverage of Emerging Technologies Released; Comments Due August 26 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a notice with comment to establish the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (TCET) pathway for Breakthrough Devices to accelerate access to new medical technologies for Medicare beneficiaries (press release). What it is. In January 2021, the…

House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Explore Legislative Solutions to Address Consolidation and Lack of Transparency in the Health Care Market The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing to gather input from stakeholders to inform legislative solutions to address consolidation and lack…