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.

2018 M&A market brought out new competitors, strategies

In 2018, the hot M&A market showed no signs of slowing down, with 90 deals announced during the year, according to a recent report from Kaufman Hall.

January 15, 2019

Walmart, CVS split over prescription drug price battle

Walmart and CVS Health will no longer be in the same network for filling prescription drugs after the two companies couldn’t come to a drug pricing agreement, CVS announced.

January 15, 2019

ACA lawsuit on pause during government shutdown

The longest partial government shutdown in history has paused paychecks for roughly 800,000 workers and stalled the appeal process of a ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional.

January 15, 2019

Policy shifts likely to be top healthcare factor in 2019

Rising costs in healthcare was a top issue for voters in the 2018 election, and more emphasis on the industry is likely to come, according to a 2019 outlook from Avalere.

January 14, 2019

ACOs should brace for new shared savings changes

The accountable care organization (ACO) industry is asking CMS for more time to apply for the reformed Medicare Shared Savings Program, but the new changes are likely to roll out whether ACOs are ready or not, according to a new report from Leavitt Partners.

January 14, 2019

Trump administration considering block grants for Medicaid

The Trump administration is preparing to allow states to remodel their Medicaid programs with block grant proposals, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

January 14, 2019

Boston leads in healthcare M&A

The top city for healthcare mergers and acquisitions is Boston, according to an analysis by Mergermarket and Acuris.

January 11, 2019

ACO industry requests more time to apply for CMS program changes

The accountable care organization industry is asking for a later deadline to apply for CMS’ revamped Medicare Shared Savings Program.

January 11, 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.