Insight Entries – Page 15

WHG - Updated Chart: Key Legislation on Surprise Medical Billing

We provide an updated side-by-side analysis of the major Congressional (Senate and House) legislation intended to protect patients from surprise medical billing that have been introduced thus far in the 116th Congress. We added the No Surprises Act recently advanced by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. For each of the four proposals outlined below, the chart examines... Read More

WHG - Highlights from Night Two of the Democratic Presidential Debate: Medicare for All Takes Center Stage Again, Along With Rx Drug Pricing, Women's Health, and More

On June 27, 2019, a second set of 10 candidates took the stage for what was part two of the first series of debates for the 2020 Democratic Presidential primaries. As with the first night, candidates answered questions spanning across many key policy topics, including climate change, gun safety, immigration, and foreign policy, among others. The conversation of course included... Read More

WHG - Democratic Presidential Debate Highlights: Medicare for All, Rx Drug Pricing, Opioids and More

The first of this week’s two-part 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate kicked-off tonight in Miami, FL, featuring 10 Democratic candidates (listed in our summary below). Initial questions focused on the national economy but quickly moved to other topics, including health care, immigration, foreign affairs (particularly focused on Iran), gun violence, and climate change. Tomorrow’s debate, also in Miami, will feature... Read More

WHG - Chart re: Medicare Part D Reform Proposals

Wynne Health Group has developed a side-by-side analysis of three major Medicare Part D reform proposals. The proposals we examined are: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)’s June 2019 Report to Congress Chapter on Reforming the Medicare Part D Benefit Structure; The 2018 Policy Proposal from the American Action Forum (AAF) on Reforming Medicare Part D; and, The Draft Bill... Read More

WHG - Updated: 2019 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

Wynne Health Group has updated its Legislative and Regulatory Outlook for 2019 to include changes stemming from the Administration’s Spring 2019 regulatory agenda. This documents seeks to provide a comprehensive collation of key federal health policy developments that we expect to see in the remaining months of this year. Of note in this update, you will find that many planned regulatory... Read More

WHG - WHG Update: Recent Developments Impacting Access to Housing, Nutrition, and Other Social Determinants of Health

Much has happened in recent months with respect to social determinants of health, including administrative actions that might impact access to public benefits and health programs both in negative and potentially some positive ways. Developments related to public charge determinations, the calculation of the federal poverty level, housing assistance and nutrition program eligibility, and the removal nondiscrimination protections threaten to... Read More

WHG - WHG Chart: Key Legislation on Raising the Tobacco Sale Age to 21

In the attached chart, we provide side-by-side analysis of the major Congressional (Senate and House) legislation intended to reduce youth tobacco use that have been introduced/released thus far in the 116th Congress. For each of the four proposals outlined below, the chart examines key provisions regarding tobacco products, restrictions, new enforcement authority, user fees, and preemption. Specifically, we look at:... Read More

WHG - WHG Chart: Key Legislation on Surprise Medical Billing

In the attached chart, we provide side-by-side analysis of the major Congressional (Senate and House) legislation intended to protect patients from surprise medical billing that have been introduced/released 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 rates, implications for plans and providers, cost-sharing... Read More

WHG - A Tell-All on Telehealth: Where Is Congress Heading Next?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently enacted modest but important expansions in Medicare’s telehealth policy. Telehealth, which uses telecommunications to support virtual health care delivery to improve access to and quality of health care, is moving from promise to reality. The benefits are appealing: Patients can interact with their providers remotely, which improves access to care and... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: Assessing the Political Landscape and Outlook of Medicare for All

The political and public discourse around single-payer and “Medicare for All” proposals has rapidly gained momentum in 2019. Whereas in 2016, Medicare for All was championed most prominently and singularly by unsuccessful Democratic primary challenger Bernie Sanders (I-VT), in 2020 we will see nearly every Democratic presidential contender endorse a variation on the theme and will most certainly see the... Read More

WHG - Accelerating Primary Care Redesign: CMS’ Innovation Center Announces Five New Transformative Models

On April 22, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Primary Cares Initiative (PCI), a suite of five voluntary payment models aimed at overhauling primary care. Marking the Trump Administration’s latest investment in Medicare value-based reform, PCI focuses on the role of primary care providers as the central coordinators of patient health, with the goal of enhancing... Read More

WHG - Health IT Policy and Interoperability Issue Brief

Attached here, please find a Wynne Health Group issue brief that provides an overview of federal health information technology (health IT) policy, beginning with the evolution of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Promoting Interoperability Programs, formerly the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs (EHR Incentive Programs). Next, the brief expounds upon the Medicare and Medicaid... Read More

WHG - Telehealth Issue Brief

Wynne Health Group's telehealth issue brief provides an overview of telehealth policy and reimbursement beginning with Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) telehealth coverage and payment policies to other technology-based, non-face-to-face services related to but distinct from Medicare “telehealth services” – such as chronic care management (CCM), remote patient monitoring (RPM) and virtual care services. The issue brief also addresses new telehealth flexibilities... Read More

WHG - WHG 2019 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

This comprehensive document reflects the Wynne Health Group's compendium of the significant federal health care regulations expected this year, as well as key Congressional dates and Administration-driven deadlines. From ‘must-pass’ legislation – including a deal necessary to raise statutory budget caps and the debt limit – to numerous Medicare/Medicaid regulations in the queue impacting CY/FY 2020 payment and program policy,... Read More

WHG - Our Take on Federal Court Ruling on the ACA

In light of the confusion created by the U.S. District Court ruling on the ACA, we wanted to provide some detail regarding what it really means and potential future developments. In brief, the ACA remains the law of the land and we believe it is highly likely to continue to be so indefinitely. Our full analysis is attached... Read More

WHG - WHG Midterm Elections Recap Brief

In a closely watched midterm election, the results came in largely as polls predicted. Democrats successfully took control of the House, and Republicans added to their majority in the Senate by picking up between two to four seats. While it was a “wave” election, it was not a tsunami, and both parties received mixed messages from voters about the direction... Read More

WHG - Blog & Memo: Key Provisions of The Bipartisan Opioid Package - The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

On October 14, President Trump signed the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act) (H.R. 6) into law. The legislation is composed of more than 70 bills from both Republicans and Democrats including provisions intended to ease the opioid epidemic by increasing access to effective treatment within Medicaid... Read More

WHG - Updated 2018 Midterm Election Preview

This document is intended to provide an overview of where key races currently stand, how the political environment compares to that of previous midterms, and what experts are predicting could happen this fall. We have updated the data and analysis presented in our prior edition circulated on Aug. 16, 2018, and included new information regarding potential committee chairmanships and leadership ... Read More

WHG - Pending Public Charge Changes Would Impact Medicaid, Medicare Part D, SNAP, and More

Proposed changes to public charge immigration rules would have significant impacts on access to Medicaid, Medicare Part D subsidies, and a range of human service safety net benefits. The Department of Homeland Security projects that benefit utilization will decrease by $2.27 billion annually if the propose changes are put into effect, thus causing a chain of impacts on health care... Read More

WHG - Updated WHG Opioid Legislative Tracking Chart

With the Senate's passage of opioid legislation, Wynne Health Group has updated our comprehensive chart comparing the House-passed bill, Senate-passed bill, and the White House’s three-pronged plan to address the opioid epidemic. The chart identifies key policies in several overarching areas: Prevention and Education, Research and Funding, Treatment and Recovery Services and Supports, and Information-Sharing and Data-Tracking... Read More