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
The incident happened three years ago when Anthony Hoover was declared brain-dead on his medical record, only to wake up on the operating room table moments before his organs were harvested. The incident 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.

Judge denies request to block Trump from halting ACA insurer subsidies

A federal judge in California denied the request of 19 attorneys general to force the immediate reinstatement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurers, which were cut off by President Donald Trump.

October 26, 2017

CBO: Funding ACA insurer subsidies would reduce federal deficit by $3.8B

Legislation to fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s cost-sharing reduction subsidies for two years while expanding state waivers and availability of catastrophic insurance plans would preserve the current level of health insurance coverage while lowering federal spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

October 25, 2017

Iowa pulls ACA waiver application, predicts ‘death spiral’ for state’s exchange

Iowa has withdrawn its request for a waiver under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), calling the law “unworkable” and urging Congress to replace it.

October 24, 2017

Industry groups support ACA fix as Trump sends mixed signals

The deal to fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s halted cost-sharing reduction subsidies while expanding the state waiver process has the support of several major healthcare groups along with 10 governors and 24 senators. President Donald Trump, however, hasn’t been clear on whether he’ll support the bill as-is.

October 19, 2017

5 quotes from Alex Azar, frontrunner to be Trump’s next HHS secretary

President Donald Trump is considering nominating Alex Azar, a former executive for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, as the next secretary of HHS, which could place the agency in the hands of man who has been skeptical of value-based care and opposed drug price controls.

October 18, 2017

Senators say they’ve reached deal on ACA insurer subsidies

Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, and Patty Murray, D-Washington, have told reporters they’ve reached an agreement to fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurers which had been halted by President Donald Trump.

October 17, 2017

Public insurance options included in new healthcare legislation

A bill to be introduced by Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, and Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, would create new options for Americans under the age of 65 to use Medicare provider networks, effectively serving as the public insurance option that was left out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

October 17, 2017

Joint Commission pulls proposed ambulatory telemedicine standards

The Joint Commission has announced it will not move forward in implementing any of its proposed changes to accreditation standards.

October 16, 2017

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