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.

‘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.
FDA announces Class I recall of ventilators after 3 patient injuries
An unexpected nickel coating on the breathing circuits of Percussionaire Phasitron 5 ventilators is being blamed for the recall. The FDA is asking providers to stop using them immediately.
FDA clears AI tool that flags signs of heart disease in chest CT scans
The newly cleared offering, AutoChamber, was designed with opportunistic screening in mind. It can evaluate many different kinds of CT images, including those originally gathered to screen patients for lung cancer.
Stewardship Health sale to private equity finalized for $245M
The physician group, once part of Steward Health Care, has been rebranded as Revere Medical.

Mystery provider behind plans for $1B hospital complex in Indiana

A healthcare real estate company is planning a $1 billion project for a large hospital and medical offices on a site in Carmel, Indiana, with signs pointing to St. Vincent Health as the group behind the property’s development.

February 20, 2018

3 things to know about proposed expansion of short-term insurance plans

Under a newly proposed rule from HHS, short-term health insurance coverage that doesn’t comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be more widely available, which the agency admitted may lead to insurer losses on the ACA exchanges if younger, healthier customers leave that market to buy short-term plans.

February 20, 2018

Ascension signs definitive agreement to acquire Chicago’s Presence Health

Three months after the transaction was first announced, St. Louis-based Ascension Health and Chicago’s Presence Health have signed a definitive agreement for Presence to join Ascension’s existing joint venture in Illinois, AMITA Health.

February 16, 2018

HHS Secretary supports CDC researching gun violence

For two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supposedly been blocked from conducting research into the health effects of gun violence by a budget amendment. HHS Secretary Alex Azar has a different opinion, telling members of Congress Thursday he would allow the CDC to conduct research which doesn’t veer into advocacy.

February 16, 2018

$1B Medicare Advantage fraud case against UnitedHealth can proceed

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) can move forward with a lawsuit alleging UnitedHealth Group wrongly collected more than $1 billion through Medicare Advantage by finding conditions to increase a patient’s risk adjustment payment from CMS.

February 15, 2018

FTC approves Advocate-Aurora merger

The proposed merger between Downers Grove, Illinois-based Advocate Health Care and Milwaukee’s Aurora Health Care now has the blessing of the Federal Trade Commission and regulators in Illinois, leaving regulatory approval in Wisconsin as the final hurdle for creating the 10th largest nonprofit health system in the U.S.

February 15, 2018

AHA to CMS: Delay application deadline for new bundled payment model

Providers have until March 12 to apply for CMS’s new Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced model, though the program was only unveiled on Jan. 9. Considering the details CMS has given about the model, that’s not enough time for hospitals to decide whether to participate, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

February 14, 2018

Health spending growth will accelerate through 2026

The growth in health expenditures nationwide is expected to average 5.5 percent annually through 2026, with the aging population driving more rapid annual growth in Medicare.

February 14, 2018

Around the web

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.

Cardiovascular Business

FDA’s tirzepatide decision creates uncertainty for patients—and leads to a lawsuit

When drugs are on the FDA’s shortage list, outsourcing facilities can produce their own compounded versions. When the FDA removed tirzepatide from that list with no warning, it created a considerable amount of chaos both behind the scenes and in pharmacies all over the country.

Policy & Regulations

‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

Kentucky AG launches criminal probe after conscious man nearly has organs harvested

FDA announces Class I recall of ventilators after 3 patient injuries

FDA clears AI tool that flags signs of heart disease in chest CT scans

Stewardship Health sale to private equity finalized for $245M

Around the web