Billy Wynne

Reconciliation Bill Text: Funds Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments, Impacts Graduate Loans for Medical Students The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) released its budget reconciliation text. The text primarily focuses on education but also includes provisions that fund cost-sharing reduction payments and affect graduate loans for medical students (press release; section-by-section; one-pager).   Health-Related Provisions:…

Agency Estimates State and Local Fiscal Impacts of Post-2021 Immigration Surge The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a detailed report estimating how the surge in immigration that began in 2021 affected state and local budgets in 2023. The nonpartisan agency found that while the influx of immigrants boosted revenues through taxes, it also raised spending…

FY 2026 AHA Budget Justification Shows Proposed Priorities and Funding Cuts The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Congressional Justification for the new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). The Trump Administration proposed the creation of AHA to focus on chronic disease, preventive care, mental health and substance use services, environmental…

Secretary Kennedy Drops All ACIP Members Today, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP makes recommendations about the safety, efficacy, and clinical need of vaccines. Secretary Kennedy emphasized that the Biden Administration appointed all 17 of…

OIG Evaluates States’ Use of PBJ Data to Strengthen Nursing Home Staffing Oversight The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report evaluating how states are using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Staffing Data Reports and related guidance to oversee and…

Agency Seeks Public Input on National AI Strategy to Tackle Chronic Disease and Advance Biomedical Innovation; Comments Due July 15 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather public input on the development of a comprehensive NIH Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy. The strategy will guide NIH efforts to harness…

Agency Roundtable Highlights Urgency, Barriers, and Opportunities in Advancing Cell and Gene Therapies The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) convened a high-level roundtable on cell and gene therapy (CGT), bringing together leading scientists, clinicians, federal officials, and patient advocates. Moderated by CBER Director Dr. Vinay Prasad,…

GAO Report Finds HHS Lacks Coordinated National Strategy for Pandemic Diagnostic Testing The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report demonstrating findings that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lacks a coordinated, national approach for diagnostic testing related to infectious diseases with pandemic potential. HHS leads federal efforts through agencies such as the…

OIG Identifies $50 Billion in Potential Cost Savings Through Payment Recovery and Program Improvements The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) released a report identifying $50 billion in potential cost savings through payment recovery and program improvements based on HHS-OIG work. There are 35 OIG reports identified for potential cost…

House Votes to Approve Budget Reconciliation Bill, 215-214 The House of Representatives approved their budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 215-214, with Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) as the only Republicans to vote against the bill. Earlier in the day, the bill cleared the last hurdle to advancing to the House…