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.

Proposed MACRA changes praised in initial industry reaction

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Hospital Association (AHA) appear pleased with the proposed rule for the second year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP), with some groups reserving judgment until they have time to review the 1,058-page regulation.

June 21, 2017

CMS proposes raising low-volume exemption, adding virtual groups in MACRA’s second year

The proposed rule for the second year of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act’s (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP) has been released by CMS, with its stated goal to “simplify the program, especially for small, independent, and rural practices, while ensuring fiscal sustainability and high-quality care.”

June 20, 2017

New ONC chief offers hints at policy priorities

In his first blog post since being named to lead the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), Donald Rucker, MD, focused mostly on his own “journey” through medical school, the early days of electronic health records and working as chief medical officer at Siemens.

June 20, 2017

The timeline leading up to the Senate’s ACA repeal vote

Senate Republican leaders appear to be sticking to their goal of holding a vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA), their vehicle for repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, by the end of June, despite resistance from both Democrats and the healthcare industry on legislation that has yet to be released.

June 20, 2017

Nevada ‘Medicaid for all’ bill vetoed

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has vetoed legislation to create a Medicaid buy-in option in the state.

June 19, 2017

Senate Republicans struggle to explain how AHCA would benefit consumers

Eight Republicans in the Senate were asked by Vox to explain what problems in the healthcare system the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is trying to solve and how it will be better than the Affordable Care Act—and while some could explain desired outcomes from the bill, identifying the exact policies to achieve those goals seemed to be difficult.

June 16, 2017

Democrats’ bill would make reinsurance permanent for ACA exchanges

Legislation to establish a permanent reinsurance program for the Affordable Care Act marketplace has been introduced by five Democratic senators.

June 15, 2017

Trump calls House’s ACA repeal bill ‘mean’

President Donald Trump reportedly told Republican senators the House-passed version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is “mean” and asked for the Senate version to be “more generous,” according to congressional sources who spoke to the Associated Press.

June 14, 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