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HHS Wants Comment on Proposed Electronic Prior Authorization Rules
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HHS Wants Comment on Proposed Electronic Prior Authorization Rules

A Department of Health and Human Services office is looking for the public’s feedback on proposed standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for the electronic prior authorization process.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology will use responses from its request for information to determine what rules could be adopted within the ONC Health Information Technology Certification Program, the HHS said Friday.

ONC is looking to implement new regulations for automating prior authorization tasks by lifting from patients, health care providers and payers the burden of verifying that medical service is necessary, within coverage criteria and meets care standards.

“We’re eager to hear from the public about prior authorization and ways to bridge the gap between administrative and clinical data so that clinicians have more time to focus on patient care and patients have a better experience with the healthcare system,” shared Elise Sweeney Anthony, executive director of HHS’ policy office.

Interested stakeholders have until March 25 to respond to the RFI.

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Lockheed-Made THAAD System Defends UAE Facility in First Actual Use
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Lockheed-Made THAAD System Defends UAE Facility in First Actual Use

A Lockheed Martin-made missile defense system intercepted a ballistic missile headed towards an oil facility in the United Arab Emirates, Defense News reported Saturday.

Anonymous sources said the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System struck two enemy ballistic missiles targeted near Al-Dhafra Air Base, which also accommodates French and U.S. forces.

THAAD’s use in this event marks the missile defense system’s first operational use, the report noted. The enemy ballistic missiles were part of a Houthi attack that also included cruise missiles and drones.

The U.S. Army also employs THAAD, which Lockheed builds under an agreement with the Missile Defense Agency.

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US Penalizes 3 Chinese Companies for Missile Proliferation Activities
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US Penalizes 3 Chinese Companies for Missile Proliferation Activities

The State Department has imposed sanctions on three Chinese organizations for participating in missile technology proliferation activities in violation with the Arms Export Control Act and the Export Administration Act of 1979.

Poly Technologies Inc., China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. First Academy, and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. Fourth Academy are now prohibited from winning U.S. government contracts and exporting and importing technologies in and out of the country, State said in a Federal Register notice Friday.

The sanctions also apply to the three companies’ sub-units and successors. The U.S. agency did not specify what specific activities the sanctioned entities took part in.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China is the fifth largest major arms exporter in the world with the Asian country accounting for 5.2 percent of global exports between 2016 and 2021.

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U.S. Ships More Military Aid to Ukraine Amid Russian Conflict
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U.S. Ships More Military Aid to Ukraine Amid Russian Conflict

The U.S. military has shipped 90 tons of military cargo in support of Ukraine, which is in a state of conflict with Russia, NPR reported Saturday.

The lethal aid shipment includes ammunition for Ukrainian forces and is part of $200 million in additional U.S. president-approved support for the European country.

The total value of U.S. support to Ukraine over the past year is now $650 million, which consists of military equipment and related services.

Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, said in a Tweet posted Friday that the U.S. is utilizing all security cooperation resources available to boost Ukraine’s defenses against Russia.

Kiran Ahuja Announces $15 Minimum Wage for Federal Employees
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Kiran Ahuja Announces $15 Minimum Wage for Federal Employees

Kiran Ahuja, the director of the Office of Personnel Management, announced that the Biden administration has lifted to $15 per hour the minimum wage for federal civilian employees in accordance with an executive order President Joe Biden issued in his second day in office.

Ahuja said in an article Federal News Network published Friday the OPM has unveiled new pay schedules and additional guidance for department and agency heads to implement the new wage increase by Jan. 30.

The new pay policy will affect 67,000 federal employees working for the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture and other agencies.

The Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce requires the OPM to develop a plan and provide the Biden administration with recommendations to promote a $15 per hour minimum wage for federal employees.

“For the Biden-Harris administration, this is about more than setting policy — it’s about living our values. Every federal job should be a good job, and every federal employee should have a pathway to the middle class. Increasing pay rates to at least $15 per hour helps us to achieve these goals, and it’s also a good business decision,” Ahuja said.

She added that the $15 minimum wage effort will result in an increase in productivity and high-quality work and enable federal employers to “recruit and retain the best talent for their workforce, but also help reduce supervisory costs and other expenses.”

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BWXT Subsidiary Secures Contract Amendment from Battelle Energy to Manufacture TRISO Nuclear Fuel
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BWXT Subsidiary Secures Contract Amendment from Battelle Energy to Manufacture TRISO Nuclear Fuel

BWX Technologies has received a $4.9 million amendment from Battelle Energy Alliance to their existing contract to produce TRISO nuclear fuel. The total contract value now stands at $31.2 million.

The amendment’s terms require Nuclear Operations Group, a subsidiary of BWXT, to manufacture natural uranium TRISO particles in an undisclosed quantity and on an established timeline, the Lynchburg, Virginia-based company said Monday.

The original contract, which was announced in July 2020, enabled BWXT to enlarge its TRISO manufacturing facilities and upgrade its equipment in order to meet fuel demands from the Department of Defense and NASA.

Joel Duling, BWXT Nuclear Operations Group president, shared that he feels the company is facing a “growing market for TRISO and specialty fuels” that it is prepared to service.

BWXT is the sole U.S. company that produces irradiation-tested uranium oxycarbide TRISO fuel with production-scale means. TRISO is an abbreviation of TRIstructural-ISOtopic, a particular design of uranium nuclear reactor fuel. It has certain safety and utilization benefits.

The contract is funded by the DoD Operational Energy Capabilities Improvement Fund Office and NASA. Overall program management is handled by the DoD Strategic Capabilities Office.

Battelle Energy Alliance is the DoE-backed administration behind Idaho National Laboratory.

Duling also noted that BWXT is “uniquely positioned to capture additional work in fueling, designing and manufacturing microreactors.”

An example of this can be found in another project the company is working on for the Department of Energy and Department of Defense, mapping TRISO-fueled microreactors.

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White House Unveils Initiatives to Expand Chip Manufacturing
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White House Unveils Initiatives to Expand Chip Manufacturing

President Biden has announced efforts to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing operations and improve the resilience of supply chains.

One of the initiatives is Intel’s plan to establish a $20 billion factory in Ohio that is expected to ramp up chip production and create 3,000 full-time jobs and 7,000 construction jobs, according to a White House fact sheet published Thursday.

The president also mentioned that semiconductor companies, including Samsung and Micron, announced $80 billion in investments in 2021 to build new manufacturing facilities in the U.S. 

Biden has called on Congress to pass a bill that would promote research and development and expand manufacturing for semiconductors and other critical supply chains.

The proposed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act would authorize full funding for the CHIPS for America Act. The measure includes “$52 billion incentive for more companies to build their manufacturing facilities here in the United States of America,” Biden said.

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House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Crypto Mining’s Environmental Impacts
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House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Crypto Mining’s Environmental Impacts

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight and investigations subpanel on Thursday held a hearing to address the energy and environmental impacts of cryptocurrency mining, The Verge reported.

“As the industry moves forward, it’s crucial for cryptocurrency networks to identify ways to reduce the need for constant high volume energy use and minimize effects on the environment,” Rep. Diana Degette, D-Colo., said in her opening remarks during the hearing.

Bitcoin mining requires more electricity because it uses the “proof of work” process to keep the blockchain accurate and secure. With this process, miners use specialized computers to crack complex puzzles and get the crytocurrency as a reward.

However, some miners use coal and other fossil fuels to power computers used in Bitcoin mining operations.

“Given our current climate objectives, examples like this are deeply concerning. Our focus now needs to be reducing carbon emissions overall, and increasing the share of green energy on the grid,” said Degette.

E&E News reported that the Environmental Protection Agency rejected requests of power plants to continue operating coal ash ponds in New York and Missouri. These ponds have reportedly been used in crypto mining operations.

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On Jan. 27, Executive Mosaic’s Potomac Officers Club will bring together government and industry leaders to explore the future of cryptocurrency and potential national security implications. National Cyber Director Chris Inglis will deliver the keynote speech at POC’s Digital Currency and National Security Forum. Visit the POC Events page to sign up for this virtual event.

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Texas Judge Rejects Federal Employee Vaccine Mandate
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Texas Judge Rejects Federal Employee Vaccine Mandate

A federal district court judge in Texas on Friday decided to reject the White House’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal employees and block it from imposing disciplinary action on personnel that failed to comply, Reuters reported.

The vaccine mandate would have applied to approximately 3.5 million government employees.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown said the question was whether the president could “require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment.”

“That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far,” added Brown.

The Department of Justice said it would appeal the judge’s ruling.

“We are confident in our legal authority,” Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the White House, said in response to the court’s decision.

On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court blocked the U.S. government’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement for large private businesses but allowed the administration to implement a vaccine mandate for over 10 million health care workers whose facilities take part in Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In early January, the White House released new guidance directing federal agencies to establish testing programs by Feb. 15, to facilitate COVID-19 screening of certain unvaccinated federal personnel and onsite contractor employees.

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GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks: Building Company Trust in Cybersecurity
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GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks: Building Company Trust in Cybersecurity

GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks, a highly esteemed cybersecurity leader, recently published an interview with CyberSeries.io on Thursday to provide a look into the latest trends of cyber hygiene strategies heading into 2022. 

CyberSeries.io reported that a recent survey of enterprise IT security executives, 77 percent of respondents agreed that IT vulnerabilities had impacted their businesses in the last year. 

During the interview, GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks discussed how cybersecurity has evolved even just in the last two years and the importance of individual cyber hygiene while governments are coming together to tackle the most significant cyber risks. 

ExecutiveGov: How can companies weave cybersecurity and trust into the people and processes in their organizations?

“The bottom line is that almost every type of business, large and small, touches aspects of cybersecurity whether it involves law, finance, transportation, retail, communications, entertainment, healthcare, or energy. Cyber threats are ubiquitous. 

Cybersecurity requires expertise but unfortunately, there is a dearth of qualified cybersecurity workers and it is rare to have such capabilities internally for most small and medium-sized businesses. Ideally, a company should plan on having accessible insights from a blend of internal and outside subject matter experts. 

It is always useful for executive management to get perspectives and ideas from experts on the outside. Employees should also be trained to recognize cyber threats. They should also follow NIST risk management frameworks that offer industry-specific advice and knowledge to help keep companies more cyber secure.”

You can read GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks’ full article on CyberSeries.io. 

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