Billy Wynne

Departments Extend Qualifying Payment Amount Enforcement Discretion Until November 1, 2024 The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Part 67 to extend the qualifying payment amount (QPA) enforcement discretion under the No Surprises Act until November 1, 2024. Background. In August 2023, the U.S. District Court…

Agency Expands Marketplace and BHP Health Coverage to DACA Recipients; Does Not Update Definition of “Lawfully Present” for Medicaid and CHIP The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to revise the definition of “lawfully present” in order to expand eligibility for health insurance coverage through the Exchange and Basic Health…

UnitedHealth Group CEO Faces Bipartisan Scrutiny Regarding Change Healthcare Cyberattack; Legislators Push for Minimum Cybersecurity Standards The Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held hearings focused on the cyberattack that targeted Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UHG), leading to widespread disruptions in the health care…

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee: What Can Congress Do to Address the Severe Shortage of Minority Health Care Professionals and the Maternal Health Crisis?  The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) convened a hearing to address pressing issues within the health care system, focusing on the underrepresentation of minority health care professionals…

House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Legislative Hearing: “Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity” The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee convened a legislative hearing to consider 19 pieces of proposed legislation to address Medicaid access and program integrity. The hearing featured testimony from CMS Deputy Administrator Daniel Tsai, and members…

HHS Finalizes Rule Prohibiting Discrimination Against Individuals with Disabilities The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released a final rule (press release; fact sheet) entitled, “Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Health and Human Service Programs or Activities.” The rule is intended to advance equity and strengthen protections for…

Agency Finalizes Changes that Extend Scope of Health Breach Notification Rule to Health Apps and Other Emerging Technologies The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized changes the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR), aimed at clarifying its applicability to health apps and other emerging technologies. The final rule comes in response to the increasing collection of health…

HRSA Invests $105 Million to Address Disparities and Improve Maternal and Infant Health HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $105 million today in funding for the Healthy Start program which exists to address disparities and improve health outcomes before, during and after pregnancy (see program details).  The funding will support more than 100 community-based organizations that…

Department Finalizes Rule to Strengthen Services and Protections for Unaccompanied Children in Its Care The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) announced it finalized a Foundational Rule aimed at codifying protections for unaccompanied children. This rule, building upon and surpassing the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, establishes clear standards and…

HHS Finalizes Section 1557 Implementing Regulations: Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care (ACA) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in certain health programs and activities (fact sheet). …