Tag: Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
HHS, CMS name experts tapped to improve, modernize health care system
March 30, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced the members of the Healthcare Advisory Committee to provide advice on improving, strengthening and modernizing health care.
The committee will advise HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on ways to improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the...
HHS, CMS seek to ‘unite best minds in health care’
August 25, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS are establishing the Healthcare Advisory Committee, a group of experts charged with delivering strategic recommendations directly to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The overall goal: To improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as the Health Insurance Marketplace.
"Every American...
In brief: HHS workforce reduction, AAH video campaign, free sleep screenings
April 2, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced a restructuring that it says will save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year through a reduction in workforce of about 10,000 full-time employees, including 300 at CMS.
When combined with the agency’s other efforts, including early retirement, the restructuring results in a total downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees.
“We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl,” said...
HHS-OIG highlight $7B in savings in new report
December 9, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Fall 2024 Semiannual Report to Congress (SAR) highlights more than $7 billion in expected recoveries and receivables resulting from HHS-OIG investigations and audits conducted during fiscal year 2024. HHS-OIG reported 1,548 criminal and civil enforcement actions in FY 2024 against individuals and entities suspected of engaging in crimes targeting HHS programs and the people they serve, including settlements resulting from using OIG's civil monetary penalty authorities...
HHS-OIG details latest fraud activities
December 4, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The HHS-OIG’s Fall 2023 Semiannual Report to Congress highlights more than $3.44 billion in expected recoveries resulting from audits and investigations conducted during fiscal year 2023.
In FY 2023, HHS-OIG reported 707 criminal enforcement actions against individuals and entities suspected of engaging in crimes targeting HHS programs and the people they serve. They also reported 746 civil actions, which include false claims and unjust-enrichment lawsuits filed...
HHS extends PHE
October 18, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days from Oct. 18. There are a number of HME-related provisions tied to the PHE, including Medicare’s 75/25 blended rates for non-rural, non-competitive bidding areas, and telehealth and other policy waivers. Becerra will next consider an extension in January 2022.
Biden names acting CMS administrator, HHS secretary
January 21, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Liz Richter has been named acting administrator of CMS and Norris Cochran has been named acting secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Richter is an agency veteran who has worked at CMS since 1990, most recently as deputy center director for the Center for Medicare. She began in the Bureau of Policy Development working on inpatient hospital payment policy. She subsequently worked on a variety of Medicare payment issues. She has...
HHS renews public health emergency
October 6, 2020HME News Staff
WASHNGTON - Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has renewed the COVID-19 national public health emergency.
The renewal is effective Oct. 23 for another 90 days. The PHE has been in place since Jan. 27.
Several relief efforts related to HME are tied to the duration of the PHE, including:
50/50 blended reimbursement rates for rural areas;
75/25 blended reimbursement rates for non-rural, non-bid areas; and
the elimination of the coverage criteria and...
New relief funding available
October 6, 2020HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The Department of Health and Human Services has announced additional funding for health care providers through the Provider Relief Fund. Providers that already received their relief of 2% of net patient revenue through the $50 billion Phase 1 and 2 of General Distribution are again eligible for the new $20 billion Phase 3 of General Distribution, AAHomecare reports. Additionally, providers that started servicing patients in 2020 that were previously ineligible for the General Distribution...
HHS ends vent contracts with Philips, Vyaire, Hamilton
September 2, 2020HME News Staff
AMSTERDAM - Royal Philips announced Monday that it has received notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that its contract to deliver 43,000 bundled EV300 ventilator configurations through December 2020 has been partially terminated.
Philips delivered 12,300 bundled vent configurations to the Strategic National Stockpile by the end of August, but it will no longer supply the remaining 30,700 Philips EV300 vents.
“To date, we have delivered on our commitments...