Insight Entries – Page 16

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

WHG - Fall 2018 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

Wynne Health Group has prepared the latest installment of our Legislative and Regulatory Outlook document. This document, updated through the end of 2018, reflects a compendium of the significant healthcare regulations expected, as well as key congressional dates and Administration-driven deadlines... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief Providing an Overview of CMS' RFI on Pursuing a Competitive Acquisition Program-Type Model for Medicare Part B Drugs

Within its calendar year (CY) 2019 hospital outpatient prospective payment system proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) includes a Request for Information (RFI) on how to structure a Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)-type model for Part B drugs through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Wynne Health Group has prepared an issue brief (attached) to... Read More

WHG - 2018 Midterm Elections Preview Issue Brief

The upcoming elections on Tuesday, Nov. 6 are the first midterms under President Donald Trump. With the entire U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate on the ballot, the stakes for both parties are high. This document provides an overview of where key races stand currently, historical context, what experts are predicting could happen... Read More

WHG - Blog: ‘Public Charge’ Rule Would Disrupt Safety-Net Access for Some Immigrants

On the California Health Care Foundation’s Blog, Dawn Joyce and Billy Wynne unpack the Trump Administration’s plan to significantly alter the rule on eligibility of applicants for permanent residency in the US by redefining “public charge” determinations related to the use of public benefits... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: The Part B Drug Competitive Acquisition Program

WHG has prepared an issue brief to provide background information on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Medicare Part B Drug and Biological Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP). Although the program is no longer in operation, it has come under renewed attention as a component of the recently-announced American Patients First: The Trump Administration Blueprint to Reduce Drug Prices... Read More

WHG - Chart: Opioid Legislation Advanced in the House as of May 18

To conclude a busy few weeks of opioids-related action in Congress, the Wynne Health Group created a newly updated chart, which describes each of the bills addressing the opioid crisis that have been advanced to the House floor as of May 18, 2018. The bills reflected in the chart were advanced in three separate markup sessions in the House Energy... Read More

WHG - Slides Previewing the 2018 Mid-Term Elections

Wynne Health Group has prepared a preview of the 2018 mid-term elections. In a slide presentation, we include an overview of the current political landscape and the outlook for the November elections, including the road to congressional majorities for Democrats and Republicans. Six months out, we incorporate high-level expectations from RealClearPolitics and key race details from Cook Political Report, as... Read More

WHG - Chart: E&C Health Subcommittee Opioids Markup

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened for a markup of 63 bills, most of which were previously considered in a series of three hearings looking at legislative solutions to the opioid epidemic. The attached chart provides a brief description of each with a record of how the subcommittee voted at the markup.The... Read More

WHG - Chart: House Opioid Legislation

Between February and April of 2018, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened a series of three legislative hearings on measures to combat the opioid crisis. At the first hearing on February 28, lawmakers reviewed eight bills designed to improve patient safety and bolster enforcement tools. The second hearing, held March 21 and 22, focused on various prevention... Read More

WHG - Side-by-Side of Veterans Choice Program Legislative Proposals

Ahead of anticipated Congressional deliberations resuming on legislation to overhaul and extend the Veterans Choice Program (VCP), we have prepared a side-by-side comparing key legislative proposals. The chart includes an analysis of the VA’s draft proposal issued last fall, as well as House and Senate VCP reform legislation – including nuanced competing proposals in the upper chamber. Following a failed attempt... Read More

WHG - Chart: Legislative Opioids Measures Considered at March 21-22 Energy & Commerce Hearing

On March 21 and 22, 2018 the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a two-day hearing titled, “Combating the Opioid Crisis: Prevention and Public Health Solutions.” The hearing included 19 witnesses divided across four panels and addressed 22 pieces of proposed or pending opioid-related legislation. For quick reference, we have consolidated the most relevant information about each bill... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: An Examination of Key Healthcare Issues in the FY 2019 White House Budget Request

The White House released a $4.4 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget Request titled, “An American Budget.” To account for the recently-enacted two-year agreement to raise the budget caps, the Administration also issued an addendum accompanying the President’s Budget Request. The Budget would provide $68.4 billion in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – a roughly... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: Health Provisions of the Budget Deal

Wynne Health Group has prepared an Issue Brief summarizing the Health and Human Services provisions of the bipartisan budget deal that extends government funding until March 23 and raises budget caps for two years, allowing the omnibus appropriations process to proceed. Early on Friday, February 9, the House passed the legislation 240-186 several hours after the Senate voting 71-28 to... Read More

WHG - Legislative and Regulatory Outlook 2018

Wynne Health Group has released its Legislative and Regulatory Outlook document for 2018. The document, updated for calendar year (CY) 2018, reflects a compendium of the significant healthcare regulations expected, as well as key Congressional dates and Administration-driven deadlines... Read More