Updates & Analysis

In this update:   Federal Agencies GAO Report Warns of HHS Security GapsOn September 3rd, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sent a letter to the Chief Information Officer for HHS, summarizing a recent GAO investigation and subsequent recommendations on the effective use and security of HHS’ information technology. The letter states that GAO identified 82 open…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OPWDD Announces $25 Million for Capital Projects at Article 16 and Article 28 Clinics to Support Care for People with Disabilities On September 11th, the New York State (NYS) Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Regional Disability Health Clinic Program…

In this update:   Trump Administration Trump Administration Releases Spring 2025 Unified AgendaOn September 4th, the Trump Administration released its Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Unified Agenda), which details changes to federal regulations that are under review. The Unified Agenda is released twice per year and is seen as a bellwether for…

On September 10th, Governor Hochul announced her intention to terminate New York’s 1332 State Innovation Waiver that had expanded eligibility for the Essential Plan. This action is expected to allow New York to access a reserve fund frozen during the waiver to replace federal funding lost as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill…

In this update:   Trump Administration Trump Administration Agrees to Restore Public Health Data and Websites in Court Settlement On September 2nd, the Trump Administration agreed in a court settlement to restore public health data and related webpages that were removed by HHS on January 31, 2025, in response to President Trump’s executive orders to end federal…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OMH Releases RFP for $5 Million to Support the Operation of the Bronx Psychiatric Center Wellness CenterOn August 26th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking one not-for-profit organization to operate a Wellness Center at the Bronx Psychiatric…

In this update:   Federal Agencies CDC Director Monarez is Fired After One Month; Kennedy Revokes Covid Booster EUAs On August 27th, the Washington Post reported that CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez was fired from her job after disagreeing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his changes to vaccine policy and her refusal to fire…

In this update:  Trump Administration Trump Revokes Biden EO on CompetitionOn August 15th, President Trump rescinded a Biden-era Executive Order (EO) – “Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy” – intended to promote market competition through antitrust enforcement. The Biden EO specifically expressed concern with hospital consolidation, especially in rural communities, and the…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities NYS DOH Announces $162.5 Million to Support Statewide Healthcare Training Capacity On August 14th, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DOH) issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for up to $32.5 million in annual funding over five years for the Increasing Training Capacity in Statewide Healthcare Facilities…

In this update:  Trump Administration Trump Executive Order Centralizes Grantmaking Under Political AppointeesOn August 7th, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking” to transform how the federal government distributes research grant dollars. Traditionally, career civil servants with specific subject-area expertise set funding priorities and make grant decisions. Referencing “problematic” grants…

In this update:  Federal Agencies CMS Releases 2026 Hospice Payment Rate Update Final RuleOn August 1st, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating Medicare hospice payment rates and the aggregate cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The FY 2026 hospice payment update percentage is 2.6% (an estimated increase…

In this update:  Federal Opportunities HRSA Issues FY 2026 FQHC Service Area CompetitionOn July 22nd, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) posted a new Service Area Competition (SAC) opportunity for FY 2026. Through the SAC, organizations may apply to participate in the federally qualified health center (FQHC) program by taking over a grant in an…