Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Great. The continuing resolution makes things seem normal until at least the middle of January. But contractors should take note. The CR is less than it seems in terms of opportunities. For insight, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are some notable changes to health care for 2024. Retired or not, it would serve you well to understand those changes and your options. With some timely advice, the editor of the Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, Kevin Moss, talked with the hosts of the podcast Fed Life, Tom Temin and Drew Friedman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across the country, crimes involving elder abuse and elder neglect routinely go unreported. But even when those cases are not immediately reported to police, there can often be clues in Medicare and Medicaid data. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) already looks for those signs in claims data. But a recent IG audit found a lot more cases that could have been reported to state and local authorities if CMS had done a more rigorous analysis. Curtis Roy is a regional inspector general with the Health and Human Services IG’s office. Richard Miller is an assistant regional inspector general. They talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about their findings. Miller speaks first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: Using Medicare data to uncover hidden signs of elder abuse. As January 1 nears, consider improving your health care coverage. The continuing resolution doesn't do a whole lot for contractors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Arizona Republican Andy Biggs asked four agency leaders about a crucial component of the seemingly endless debate over federal telework. “In our nation’s capital, offices are sitting empty,” Biggs said. “Do each of you know what your current building utilization rate is?” Only one of the four agency witnesses at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s subcommittee hearing could answer in the affirmative. The other three didn’t have the information on hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is embracing generative artificial intelligence as part of its internal operations, while also considering how the technology could be used across the broader health ecosystem. Launched in March 2022, ARPA-H is an independent agency within the National Institutes of Health. The organization is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, with the goal of supporting “transformative research to drive biomedical and health breakthroughs.” Susan Monarez, deputy director at ARPA-H, said officials are already using generative AI technologies to help the new research organization “get our houses in order.” She said the agency processes large volumes of data ranging from personnel information to contracting data to information from partner agencies that help ARPA-H shape its programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MITRE Corporation is celebrating the opening of what it says will help numerous federal agencies do a better job of studying national security, climate and environmental issues. The new BlueTech Lab in Bedford, Massachussetts opened its doors to federal agency sponsors last month. It includes a 620,000-gallon tank for testing unmanned surface and undersea systems – the biggest in the region. For more on what the federally-funded R&D corporation hopes to do with it, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu spoke with Nick Rotker, MITRE’s Chief Strategist for BlueTech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been a significant achievement for DoD’s Space Development Agency. Last month, SDA demonstrated it could use a communication system called Link 16 between ground stations and its new network of low-earth orbiting satellites. It is the first time the ubiquitous military communication protocol has ever been used in space. For more on why that matters and what it means, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked with Jennifer Elzea, SDA's Director of Strategic Engagement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: A big breakthrough for beyond-line-of-sight communications in the U.S. Military. How one agency coordinates everything the U.S. and its allies know about threats on the high seas. Federal agencies and academics have a new way to test unmanned sea systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Social Security Administration is reorganizing how it manages and oversees technology. The agency is renaming the Office of Systems to the Office of the CIO as part of its effort to push for more innovation and modernization. In an email to staff, which Federal News Network obtained, Kilolo Kijakazi, acting commissioner of Social Security, said the restructuring is a recognition about how technology has evolved over the last decade. She said the reorganization aims to align IT strategy and initiatives with business goals while driving innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the big federal contracts on the horizon in 2024, not a whole lot is changing when it comes to what the government plans to buy. But there are still a lot of opportunities for contractors, as agencies re-compete some of their biggest buying vehicles. Those are some of the takeaways from Deltek’s annual list of top contracting opportunities. Ashley Sanderson is a senior research manager at Deltek. She joined Federal Drive Deputy Editor Jared Serbu to talk more about the 2024 edition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) – set up in the aftermath of the department’s secret wait-list scandal – got off to a very rocky start. It had scandals of its own. According to the government watchdog Project on Government Oversight (POGO), VA has reformed OAWP in ways that have made real progress toward building whistleblower confidence. But there is still a whole lot of work to do. Joe Spielberger is policy counsel at POGO. A few weeks ago, he testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee about what is needed at OAWP. He speaks here with Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: Still a lot of work to do to gain the trust of VA whistleblowers. Fewer federal contractors chasing an increasing number of federal dollars – there’s a lot to chase in 2024. The big, complex organization called, the Department of the Interior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting sometime next year, companies that want to sell software to the government will need to sign new attestations – certifying that they have taken certain steps to make sure their software is secure. Earlier this month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released its latest draft of the form companies will need to submit. One of the biggest changes is the attestations will have to be signed by a company’s CEO. But there are several other updates, too. For more about them and get an industry perspective, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked with Leopold Wildenauer, the Senior Manager for Public Sector Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices