Billy Wynne

Senators Discuss Farm Bill Nutrition Programs, Focus on Cost The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on the nutrition programs in the Farm Bill, which must be reauthorized by September 30, 2023. Over 80 percent of Farm Bill Funding goes to nutrition programs which include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),…

CST Committee Examines PBM Legislation, Witnesses Express Support for Increased Transparency The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened a hearing to examine pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices and their role in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The following witnesses testified that PBM anticompetitive practices negatively impact beneficiaries and community pharmacies and emphasized the need…

In Anticipated Report, Innovation Center Announces Three New Drug Pricing Model Concepts the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report in response to President Biden’s Executive Order on Lower Prescription Drug Costs for America, which describes three models the Secretary has selected for testing by the Center for Medicare…

Agency Proposes to Implement ACA Ownership Disclosure Provisions for SNFs and NFs; Comments due April 14 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to implement portions of section 6101 of the Affordable Care Act, which require the disclosure of certain ownership, managerial, and other information regarding Medicare skilled nursing facilities…

Comments Due March 14 on the Elimination of Waiver Requirements to Prescribe OUD Treatments The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to solicit public comment on its proposal to remove the requirement that practitioners obtain a waiver to prescribe certain schedule III-V medications for the treatment…

Comments Due March 11 on CMS Initial Guidance on Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released initial guidance for the Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program, pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (fact sheet). What is it. The initial guidance outlines…

President Biden’s Second State of the Union In his second State of the Union address, President Biden outlined his health care and public health agenda, focusing his remarks on reducing health care costs; ending cancer; cracking down on fentanyl; and improving access to mental health care. Biden briefly discussed the federal government’s COVID-19 response and…

Agency Releases Technical Assistance for Implementation of IRA Part B Rebates The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a technical assistance brief on the implementation of inflation-indexed rebates for Part B drugs. Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), drug manufacturers will have to pay quarterly…

Legislative Hearing: Fentanyl Crisis, Cybersecurity Protections for 9-8-8, QALYs The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened a hearing to examine legislation related to addressing the fentanyl crisis, improving cybersecurity protections for the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and prohibiting the use of Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) in cost-effectiveness analysis (hearing memo). The discussion…

FNS Releases Proposed Rule to Align School Meal Nutrition Standards With Dietary Guidelines; Announces $100 Million Investment In Healthy Meals The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a proposed rule to update school meal standards to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (rule; press release). The rule will…