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.

Boston Medical Center installs solar panels to pay patients’ electric bills
A program dubbed the Clean Power Prescription sends half the energy generated by 519 solar panels on the hospital's roof back to patients, in the form of energy credits.
4 points crucial to the nimble regulation of GenAI
With generative AI coming into its own, AI regulators must avoid relying too much on principles of risk management—and not enough on those of uncertainty management.
FDA recalls infant incubators due to risk of door falling off
A loose screw on the Giraffe OmniBed is to blame. With updated use instructions and repairs, the incubators are safe to use.
‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT
CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.
Kentucky AG launches criminal probe after conscious man nearly has organs harvested
Three years ago Anthony Hoover was declared brain dead—until he woke up on the operating room table, moments before his organs were removed. His story has spurred a criminal investigation by Kentucky's attorney general.

HHS proposal tackles drug rebates

HHS has proposed lowering drug costs by targeting the rebate system, which has recently come under scrutiny as an opaque setup that keeps drug prices high.

February 4, 2019

Zuckerberg Hospital pauses balance billing practice after media reports

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has temporarily halted its “aggressive” billing practices after media reports brought backlash against the trauma center named after Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

February 1, 2019

CHI and Dignity complete merger, renamed CommonSpirit

Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and Dignity Health have completed their merger, launching a new nonprofit Catholic health system, CommonSpirit Health. The deal brings together two of the nation’s largest Catholic healthcare systems.

February 1, 2019

HCA completes $1.5B acquisition of Mission Health

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare completed its purchase of Mission Health for approximately $1.5 billion.

February 1, 2019

Human insulin therapy minimizes out-of-pocket costs for type 2 diabetics

Switching type 2 diabetics from analogue insulin therapies to human insulin products saves patients money without compromising health, according to new research published in JAMA.

January 31, 2019

Nearly half of adults haven’t heard of Medicare for all

Nearly half––46 percent––of adults reported they had not heard of a health policy known as Medicare for all, according to a recent AmeriSpeak Spotlight on Health survey from NORC at the University of Chicago.

January 31, 2019

CMS expands supplemental benefits for 2020 plan year

CMS has proposed expanding supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage plans to include any benefit that “improves or maintains health,” particularly for the chronically ill population, the agency announced Jan. 30. MA plans will be able to more freely offer benefits such as meals and home modifications to better serve members with certain conditions.

January 31, 2019

One-third of all GoFundMe campaigns pay medical bills

Sky-high medical bills have forced many individuals to turn to crowdsourcing to pay what they owe, according to the CEO of GoFundMe, who spoke on CBS MoneyWatch.

January 29, 2019

Around the web

AI in Healthcare

4 points crucial to the nimble regulation of GenAI

With generative AI coming into its own, AI regulators must avoid relying too much on principles of risk management—and not enough on those of uncertainty management.

Cardiovascular Business

Q&A: Why are cardiovascular devices involved in so many recalls? FDA policies may be to blame

Cardiovascular devices are more likely to be in a Class I recall than any other device type. The FDA's approval process appears to be at least partially responsible, though the agency is working to make some serious changes. We spoke to a researcher who has been tracking these data for years to learn more.

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiologist compensation still rising, especially in invasive and interventional cardiology

Updated compensation data includes good news for multiple subspecialties. The new report also examines private equity's impact on employment models and how much male cardiologists earn compared to females.