Policy & Regulations

This channel includes news coverage of healthcare policy and regulations set by Congress, the states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and medical associations and societies. 

Gaiter Facemask

Researchers clarify: Don’t dismiss the neck gaiter as a facemask failure

Remember the Duke study that seemed to suggest a neck gaiter can spread more COVID than no mask at all? Its authors now say their findings were misconstrued. Gaiters may be OK after all.

August 19, 2020

Standard operating procedures start chugging back to life at Medicare, Medicaid

As part of its Monday announcement, CMS released inspection guidance for state agencies and a toolkit for nursing homes.

August 17, 2020
Chicago

$66M to hospitalize 38 patients over 3 weeks—would you take that deal?

Responding swiftly to the COVID crisis this past spring, the city of Chicago imagined, built and began operating a nicely outfitted, high-capacity hospital in just three weeks and five days. That was the impressive part.

August 14, 2020
Syringe World

Search engines unequally inhospitable to antivaxxers

Privacy-first search engines brought back numerous sites when researchers entered the words vaccine and autism. Google turned up zero. Is that impressive—or glaring?

August 13, 2020
Bus

Debate over hybrid classrooms a signpost of back-to-school health troubles ahead

On its face, hybrid schooling appears a prudent compromise during the COVID-19 crisis. However, it’s awfully easy to find health and education experts crying Stop the madness.

August 6, 2020

Teladoc agrees to buy chronic care company Livongo in $18.5B deal

Both organizations have seen their stock prices skyrocket during the pandemic, with the new organization on track to tally nearly $1.3 billion in revenue this year.

August 5, 2020
Surveillance Cameras

Notes from China: 3 of the most important—and scariest—things you’ll read about AI all month

In the late 1700s the English social theorist Jeremy Bentham sketched out a prison in which a single guard could control hundreds of inmates. The trick was to let the men know they could be seen 24/7 while the guard on duty was hidden from their view.  

August 5, 2020

Healthcare coalition cheers House vote overturning ‘archaic’ ban on unique patient identifiers

Approved by voice, the move eliminates Section 510 of the Labor-HHS bill and reverses the ban on using federal funding to create unique patient identifiers.

August 3, 2020

Around the web

In addition, cardiologists average an additional $75,000 per year in incentive-based bonuses. That number is only higher for two other specialties. 

CMS has issued its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system, suggesting a payment increase of 2.6%. According to the American Hospital Association, this update would not be enough at a time when hospitals are already struggling to stay open. 

The rumors, it seems, were true. Once the deal is finalized, Shockwave Medical will operate as a business unit within Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

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