Senate Republicans have no immediate plans to consider the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) – the $3 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by House Democrats last Friday (May 15) – or present a counter offer to begin negotiations. Instead, the Senate will consider a slew of judicial nominees before adjourning for the Memorial Day recess. In…

In follow-up to its March 31st interim final rule with comment period (IFC),  the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a second set of wide-reaching changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What it is. CMS is effectuating these changes through a combination of its IFC rulemaking authority and its application of 1135…

Wynne Health Group – a mission-driven, public interest health policy consulting and advocacy firm – seeks applicants with a strong interest in federal health policy and politics to join our DC team as a Fellow. This opportunity is ripe for students looking to gain first-hand experience working with lobbyists and consultants on key legislative and…

WHG Catalogue last updated: April 17, 2020 (see here). Please also stay up to date on all COVID-19 developments by regularly checking the official CDC website on the outbreak here.   As the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) has taken hold, U.S. government agencies have ramped up the rapid release of fact sheets and guidance documents…

While initially speeding out of the gate with a large “Phase 4” recovery bill focused on infrastructure and other Democratic priorities, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released a Dear Colleague over the weekend acknowledging that a bipartisan effort is needed to create a “CARES 2” package that will build off the last emergency relief measure…

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced yesterday that it has developed “crisis standards of care strategies” to optimize ventilator use in the face of unprecedented demand on hospital and ICU resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, HHS partnered with FEMA, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), like other agencies across the government, has taken many actions in recent days to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Below we outline the various regulatory waivers the agency has issued to ease operation and ensure beneficiary access in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the…

Access our complete summary of these developments here.   On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted a sweeping array of new provider flexibilities for supporting the health care system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (press release). The changes leverage many of the avenues available to the agency in affecting policy,…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released set of FAQs designed to give state Medicaid programs implementation guidance on the 6.2 percent increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for each state and territory, which was made possible under Section 6008 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Our WHG…

The House passed, by a voice vote, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) – the third in a series of bills intended to enhance the federal government and health care system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while providing economic relief to individuals and businesses (WHG summary here). The bill now…