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.

Can Trump really lower drug prices?

From taking swipes at specific drug companies on Twitter to promising to get pharmaceutical prices down “really, really substantially,” President Donald Trump has said a lot about lowering drug prices. However, many Americans aren’t buying into the rhetoric, according to a recent study.

September 13, 2018

Cigna to invest $250M through new venture capital fund

Healthcare services company Cigna has launched a $250 million venture capital fund, Cigna Ventures. The fund will focus on transformative and innovative healthcare companies, including promising startups and growth-stage companies.

September 12, 2018

Michigan, Alabama apply to implement Medicaid work requirements

Alabama and Michigan have applied for waivers from HHS to implement work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries.

September 12, 2018

Public health emergency declared in the Carolinas ahead of Hurricane Florence

The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency in North Carolina and South Carolina ahead of the incoming Category 4 Hurricane Florence, which is expected to make landfall later this week.

September 12, 2018

AMA Awards Research Grants to Advance the Study of Women in Medicine

The AMA Women Physicians Section (WPS) and the AMA Foundation today announced the winners of the 2018 Joan F. Giambalvo Fund for the Advancement of Women research grants program.

September 12, 2018

Study: Health system margins dropped 40% after ACA

In a post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance world, health systems have seen their operating margins deteriorate, according to a new study from Navigant Consulting—and the associated increases in scale haven't helped.

September 12, 2018

WSJ: Russians used health law to sow political discourse

New data from Clemson University revealed that nearly 600 Russian-linked Twitter accounts focused on healthcare to sow political divisiveness on the Internet, tweeting nearly 10,000 times about hot-button issues.

September 12, 2018

Industry groups speak out against CMS's physician payment proposals

As CMS is proposing several changes to the physician payment schedule, some industry groups are speaking out about the proposals.

September 11, 2018

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.