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.

CBO report bolsters industry opposition to AHCA, worries some Republicans

Organizations representing hospitals and specialties reacted negatively to an estimate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement passed by House Republicans would result in 23 million fewer people having insurance by 2026.

May 26, 2017

Health IT groups oppose $22M cut to ONC in Trump’s budget

Reducing funding to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) from $60 million to $38 million, as the Trump administration has proposed, may hamper advancements in interoperability and the goals of 21st Century Cures Act, according to several leading health IT groups.

May 25, 2017

CBO: AHCA would destabilize individual market in parts of U.S.

The Congressional Budget Office has released its updated report on the American Health Care Act (AHCA), saying the Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement passed by House Republicans would still erase the recent gains in insurance coverage and potentially price less healthy enrollees out of the individual market.

May 24, 2017

ONC budget cut by $22 million under Trump

Under President Donald Trump's proposed budget, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will lose $22 million in funding. The 36 percent reduction cuts the $60 million for ONC to $38 million in 2018.

May 24, 2017

Conservative groups to Senate Republicans: No auto-enrollment in ACA repeal

Conservative advocacy groups laid out their priorities for healthcare policy as the Senate crafts its own version of an Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement, warning against a proposed “auto-enrollment” option to replace the ACA’s penalty for not buying insurance.  

May 23, 2017

Trump’s HHS budget cuts 16 percent across agency, including NIH, ONC

The full fiscal year 2018 budget proposal for HHS would include deep cuts to Medicaid, while making immediate cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and almost all HHS agencies. 

May 23, 2017

$400 billion California single-payer system offers providers 'little incentive' to control costs

The proposed single-payer healthcare system being debated in California would come with a $400 billion annual price tag—more than double the state’s annual budget—according to a review released by the California Senate Appropriations Committee.

May 23, 2017

90-day delay in ACA subsidy lawsuit adds to uncertainty for insurers

The Trump administration has asked for a 90-day delay on a ruling which could end Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies to insurers, pushing back a potentially market-destabilizing move but offering little assurance to actuaries working on 2018 rate requests for the ACA exchanges.

May 22, 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