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Government

HHS Secretary Becerra’s Statement on the Southern District of Ohio’s Decision on Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

“President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act finally allowed Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of seniors and other beneficiaries – despite zero Republicans in Congress supporting it and Big Pharma spending hundreds of millions of dollars to prevent that from happening.

October 3, 2023

HHS Takes Action to Provide 12 Months of Mandatory Continuous Coverage for Children in Medicaid and CHIP

As part of its ongoing work to make sure all Americans have access to health care coverage, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), sent a letter to state health officials reinforcing that states must provide 12 months of continuous coverage for children under the age of 19 on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beginning January 1, 2024.

October 2, 2023

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs to Remain Stable in 2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that average premiums, benefits, and plan choices for Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program will remain stable in 2024. Improvements adopted in the 2024 Rate Announcement, as well as the 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule, such as increased beneficiary protections around marketing and prior authorization and increased access to behavioral health, support this stability.

September 28, 2023

Physician and Two Pharmacists Charged for $170M Fraud Scheme

A 13-count indictment was unsealed charging two pharmacists and a physician for their roles in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud, kickback and money laundering scheme.

As Part of HHS’ Maternal Health Day of Action, the Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $103 Million and Launches New Initiatives to Address Maternal Health Crisis

As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Maternal Health Day of Action, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced several new actions to address the nation’s longstanding maternal health crisis. Secretary Becerra hosted a roundtable with the Health Resources and Services Administrator Carole Johnson as well as providers, advocacy organizations, and state and local leaders in Baltimore, Maryland.

CDC Announces $262M Funding to Support National Network for Outbreak Response and Disease Modeling

On September 19, 2022, CDC announced the recipients of 13 funding awards to establish a first-of-its-kind national network, the Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling Network (OADMN).

Coverage for Half a Million Children and Families Will Be Reinstated Thanks to HHS’ Swift Action

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing that it has helped half a million children and families regain their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) coverage.

Biden-Harris Administration Awards $600 Million to Bolster US Manufacturing of COVID-19 Tests and Announces the Re-Opening of COVIDTests.gov

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), is announcing an investment of $600 million across 12 domestic COVID-19 test manufacturers and the reopening of COVIDTests.gov to deliver COVID-19 tests for free to households across the country.

Streamlining Medicaid and CHIP, Final Rule, Fact Sheet

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) final rule will make it easier for millions of eligible people to enroll in and retain their Medicare Savings Program (MSP) coverage. The final rule Reduces red tape and simplifies Medicare Savings Program enrollment, helping millions of seniors and people with disabilities afford coverage. The final rule follows President Biden’s executive orders in January 2021, December 2021, and April 2022, directing federal agencies to take action to expand affordable, quality health coverage.

HHS Awards $45 Million in Grants to Expand Access to Care for People with Long COVID

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), announced nine grant awards of $1 million each for up to 5 years to support existing multidisciplinary Long COVID clinics across the country to expand access to comprehensive, coordinated, and person-centered care for people with Long COVID, particularly underserved, rural, vulnerable, and minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of Long COVID.

Laboratory Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Healthcare Kickback Scheme

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Terry Wilks Jr., age 41, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks.

Former Missouri Doctor Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Defrauding Medicare, Medicaid

U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a Moberly, Missouri doctor to 22 months in prison for falsely using his father’s name to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medical services.

HHS Invests $8 Million to Improve Health Care Access by Training New Physicians to Care for Individuals with Disabilities and Individuals with Limited English Proficiency

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced more than $8 million through 18 awards to train primary care medical students, physician assistant students, and medical residents in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care for individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with physical or intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Inflation Reduction Act Continues to Lower Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs for Drugs with Price Increases Above Inflation

A continuing key priority of the Biden-Harris Administration is lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and families. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the list of 34 prescription drugs for which Part B beneficiary coinsurances may be lower between October 1 – December 31, 2023.

HHS Announces Details of Partnership with Regeneron to Develop Life-Saving Monoclonal Antibodies

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces new details of its agreement with Regeneron to extend its public-private partnership to develop life-saving monoclonal antibodies as part of Project NextGen enhancing our preparedness for COVID-19 strains and variants.