Insight Entries – Page 14

Impact Health - Issue Brief: COVID-19 Vaccine State of Play

As the United States surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 deaths and hovers around 40,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, the Trump administration and pharmaceutical manufacturers have sought to develop, manufacture, and distribute a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine at an unprecedented pace. The likely limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, at least initially, has also raised questions about who will receive the COVID-19... Read More

Impact Health - September 2020 Edition: Catalogue of Health Agency Guidance and Government Response to COVID-19

In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. government agencies have continued the frequent release of fact sheets and guidance documents for health care and public stakeholders. To help navigate the outpouring of information, the Wynne Health Group has maintained the attached and newly updated catalogue, intended to capture and organize the full array of relevant guidance for health... Read More

Impact Health - Chaotic First 2020 Presidential Debate Touches on ACA Supreme Court Case, Biden's Public Option Plan, Pandemic Response

Tuesday night, September 29, President Donald J. Trump faced former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden in the first of three 2020 general election debates. The event was hosted at the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion, part of a joint campus shared by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic is serving in the... Read More

Impact Health - August 2020 Edition: Catalogue of Health Agency Guidance and Government Response to COVID-19

Impact Health - Chart: Biden Campaign vs. Trump Administration's Health Care Policies

This week, the Democratic party convened for its virtual National Convention and formally adopted its 2020 Party Platform. The attached memo examines the health care policies and priorities articulated by the party and by its presidential nominee, former Vice President Joseph Biden. Vice President Biden’s health care plan is largely defined by the intention to preserve and build upon the Obama-Biden Administration’s... Read More

Impact Health - Updated 2020 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

WHG has updated its Legislative and Regulatory Outlook for 2020, based largely on changes reflected in the administration’s recently released Spring 2020 Unified Agenda. With this product, we aim to provide a comprehensive line-up of key federal health care policy developments we expect to see throughout the course of the coming year and their approximate timing. Of note, many anticipated... Read More

Impact Health - Chart: Key Federal COVID-19 Stimulus Funding Opportunities for Health Care Providers and Hospitals

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has continued to distribute funding, release information, and share data about the allocation of coronavirus relief payments to providers and facilities. Here are the key updates since we last shared our Federal COVID-19 Funding Opportunities for Providers & Hospitals tracking chart in late June: Funding: Provider Relief Fund – HHS announced today that it... Read More

Impact Health - Aligned Support on Legislative & Regulatory Changes to Extend COVID-19 Telehealth Flexibilities

The COVID-19 public health emergency has required a swift and monumental response across several federal agencies and Congress. Through a combination of emergency powers, federal agencies have collectively issued over 600 temporary flexibilities and regulatory changes intended to bolster the U.S. response to the pandemic. With respect to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), many of the deregulatory... Read More

Impact Health - Chart: Compilation of Federal Telehealth Flexibilities

In light of the many changes to telehealth that have occurred since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, we have compiled the key telehealth changes and flexibilities at the federal level into one chart. The chart incorporates legislative changes, waivers, certain insurer flexibilities, and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) interim final rules with commend periods... Read More

Impact Health - Chart: Key Federal COVID-19 Economic Relief Opportunities for Employers

WHG provides an overview of key economic relief opportunities that were made available through the following bills signed into law, thus far. Phase 3 Bill – CARES Act (H.R. 748) Phase 3.5 Bill – Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 266) Overall, the chart encapsulates economic relief to employers, including those in the health care sector, in... Read More

Impact Health - Chart: Key Federal COVID-19 Economic Relief Opportunities for State and Local Governments

WHG provides an overview of key stimulus funding opportunities for state and local governments that were made available through the series of COVID-19 response bills signed into law, thus far. Phase 1 Bill – Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (R. 6074) Phase 2 Bill – Families First Coronavirus Response Act (R. 6201) Phase 3 Bill – Coronavirus... Read More

Impact Health - Lookback: Key COVID-19 Updates March 9-13

During March 9-13, 2020, there were several updates about the coronavirus from all levels of government. In addition to the discussion lawmakers are having with public health experts at hearings and the primetime briefing by President Trump, departments throughout the administration have released fact sheets and guidance documents on a near daily basis. Attached is a brief recap of the... Read More

Impact Health - In South Carolina, Democratic Candidates Discuss Medicare for All, Rural Health, Coronavirus, and Other Public Health Issues

On February 25, 2020, seven candidates convened in Charleston, South Carolina for the 10th Democratic presidential debate ahead of the state’s Democratic primary (February 29) and Super Tuesday (March 3). A total of 14 states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia), as well as American Samoa and Democrats abroad, will... Read More

Impact Health - Key Legislation on Surprise Medical Billing; Includes W&M, Ed & Labor, HELP/E&C Proposals

We provide an updated side-by-side analysis of the major congressional legislation intended to protect patients from surprise medical billing that have been introduced thus far in the 116th Congress. For each of the three proposals outlined below, the chart examines key provisions regarding prohibited balance billing scenarios, payment mechanisms, implications for plans and providers, cost-sharing implications for patients, interaction with... Read More

Impact Health - Democratic Candidates Deliberate on Electability and Health Care Reform in Latest Primary Debate

On February 19, 2020, six Democratic candidates debated for their spot as the 2020 nominee in Las Vegas, Nevada. To qualify for the debate, candidates had to have either 10 percent or more in four national, Nevada, or South Carolina polls; have 12 percent or more in just two Nevada or South Carolina polls; or, have secured at least one... Read More

Impact Health - Side-By-Side Summarizes 5 Key Federal Telehealth Bills

It can be hard to keep track of federal telehealth legislation in a sea of legislative and regulatory health care priorities, so the team at Wynne Health Group has made it easy for you. We created a side-by-side (SBS) summarizing five key telehealth bills introduced in the 116th Congress: ECHO Act of 2019; Mental Health Telemedicine Expansion Act; CONNECT for Health Act... Read More

Impact Health - 2020 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

Please find here WHG’s Legislative and Regulatory Outlook for 2020, based largely on changes reflected in the administration’s Fall 2019 regulatory agenda. As in previous releases of our annual outlook, we aim to provide a comprehensive line-up of key federal health care policy developments we expect to see throughout the course of the coming year and their approximate timing. Of... Read More

Impact Health - At December Debate, Democratic Candidates Continue Discussion on Comprehensive Health Reform; Discuss Impeachment As Well

On December 19, 2019, candidates convened again for the sixth 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate. Seven candidates took the stage at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, each having met the threshold of securing at least 200,000 individual campaign donors, and receiving at least four percent in four DNC-approved polls. Co-hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico, the event was moderated... Read More

Impact Health - Surprise Medical Billing Might Get a Hybrid Solution

Reaching a consensus on how to protect patients from surprise medical bills has eluded Congress for most of the year even though members in both parties and chambers are highly motivated to find a fix. With an agreement reached over the December 7–8, 2019, weekend, a solution seems closer than it has in a long time. Unlike typical health policy... Read More

Impact Health - Candidates Continue to Discuss Medicare For All and Women’s Reproductive Rights at Fifth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

On Thursday, November 20, candidates convened again for the fifth 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate. Ten candidates qualified for the debate criteria, needing to have 165,000 unique donors and to have met one of two polling requirements: (1) two polls at 5 percent or more in the four early nominating states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina); or (2)... Read More