Billy Wynne

Agency Finds that Providers Generally Met Medicare Requirements when Billing for E/M Services via Telehealth. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an audit of Evaluation and Management (E/M) services provided via telehealth during the first 9 months of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Several COVID-19…

House Committee on Agriculture Holds Hearing with Secretary Vilsack; Debates Farm Bill, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Investments, and More Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing including testimony from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The full recording is available here.  The hearing included discussions regarding federal investments in nutrition programs such as the…

Agency Issues RFI to Inform Development of the FY 2026-2030 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research; Comments Due March 28 The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), issued a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input for the development of the fiscal year (FY) 2026‒2030 NIH Strategic Plan for…

House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Discusses Federal Vaccine Safety Reporting and Injury Compensation Systems The House Oversight and Accountability Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee convened the first session of a two-part hearing series to examine the effectiveness of vaccine safety reporting and injury compensation systems following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.…

CMMI Releases AHEAD Model Overlap Policy and Hospital Global Budget Methodology The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI/Innovation Center) released two updates about the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model: a model overlap factsheet and hospital global budget financial specifications. Model Overlap Fact Sheet: The AHEAD model will operate statewide or in a sub-state…

Draft Part Two Guidance Released for Medicare Prescription Payment Plan; Comments Due March 16 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued draft part two guidance on select topics of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (press release, fact sheet). What is it. Pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan provides…

Agency Announces Draft Research Plan on Screening and Interventions for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults; Comments Due February 28 The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a draft research plan on screening and behavioral counseling interventions for unhealthy alcohol use in adolescents and adults. The USPSTF’s research approach for screening and interventions…

FTC and HHS Issue Joint RFI to Understand how GPOs and Drug Wholesalers may be Contributing to Generic Drug Shortages; Comments Due April 15 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly issued a request for information (RFI) regarding market concentration among large health care group purchasing…

Federal Nutrition Program Updates The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced two updates to federal nutrition programs. Farm to Food Bank: FNS has awarded nearly $3.8 million in grants to 27 state agencies for Farm to Food Bank programs in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Farm to Food Banks helps prevent food…

Committee Examines AI in Federal Health Programs; Sen. Wyden Announces Medicaid MCOs Inquiry On Harmful Processes The Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing to examine the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into patient care and the necessary regulations. The hearing highlighted the potential of AI in health care while addressing the need for regulations and…