Billy Wynne

Nominations Due March 15 The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a request for nominations to serve as members of the Task Force. The USPSTF is seeking nominees with expertise and national leadership in the following areas: • The critical evaluation of research published in peer-reviewed literature and in the methods of evidence review;…

EPA Seeks Nominations for the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a request for nominations for the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC). EPA intends to fill ten new vacancies for terms through September 2024. Candidates should represent the following groups: Academia; Business and industry; Community-based organizations; Non-governmental organizations; State…

FY 2023 Omnibus Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) early this morning released the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure in the next couple of days and send it to the House to be approved before the current Continuing Resolution runs out on…

Select Subcommittee Holds Final Hearing Examining Lessons Learned From COVID-19 And Discuss Next Steps To Prevent And Prepare For Future Crises The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis held a final hearing on how to prevent and prepare for future public health emergencies and formally adopted its final report (WHG Summary of the report here).…

Basic Health Program Funding Methodology for Program Year 2023 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Basic Health Program (BHP) funding methodology for program year 2023. The methodology determines federal payment amounts to states that elect to operate a BHP, a coverage option for individuals under age 65 with household incomes between…

COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan The Biden Administration announced its COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan, a list of government actions and resources to increase access to vaccinations, testing, and treatments as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increase. The plan includes the following resources: Free-at home, rapid COVID-19 tests: Beginning today, U.S. households can order a total of four…

CY 2024 MA and Part D Policy and Technical Changes Proposed Rule Includes Proposals Aimed at Beneficiary Protections, Health Equity, Behavioral Health, and Prescription Drugs; Comments are due February 13 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Contract Year (CY) 2024 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and…

Department Proposes to Modify its Regulations Regarding Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) requesting public comment on its proposal to modify regulations regarding medications for the treatment of opioid use…

Committee Releases Final Report on Preparing for and Preventing the Next Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Crisis The Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis was established in April 2020 to investigate the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee recently released its final report summarizing…

Agency Issues Request for Information on Creating a National Health Care System Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety; Comments Due January 23 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a Request for Information (RFI) on creating a National Health Care System Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety (Action Alliance) to support sustained improvements…