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. 

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President Obama defends ACA while calling premium increases ‘growing pains’

Ahead of the final open enrollment period of his presidency, Barack Obama made the case that the Affordable Care Act is working, but could be improved with additions like new tax credits and reviving the controversial public option.

HHS more optimistic on ACA enrollment than financial analysts

HHS has estimated 13.8 million people will purchase coverage on Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges during the next open enrollment period.

Primary care physicians criticized for weak response to opioid addiction

The sharp increase in opioid abuse and the resulting deaths hasn’t led to a strong response from primary care physicians, even though they could recognize problems in patients earlier.

CMS sued over long-term care rule

The top trade group representing long-term care facilities is suing CMS for its new rule banning mandatory arbitration agreements in cases of patient harm.

Pinnacle-Penn State Hershey merger called off after loss in court

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has successfully blocked the merger of Pennsylvania’s Pinnacle Health System and Penn State Hershey Medical Center as the two nixed their consolidation plan after the courts sided with the FTC.

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New drug price transparency bill aimed at pharma ‘price gouging’

Drug manufacturers would have to justify price increases over 10 percent, along with disclosing research and development costs, under new legislation which the sponsors admitted is only the first step in reforming the pharmaceutical industry.

No thanks, Trump: Insurers show little interest in selling across state lines

Part of Donald Trump’s plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to allow insurers to sell across state lines in order to increase competition. One problem: States can already enable them to do so, but insurers don’t seem interested.

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The arrival: What's changed, what comes next with final MACRA rule

HHS has released the highly anticipated final rule, nearly 2,400 pages long, implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) to overhaul Medicare reimbursement, with the agency saying significant changes were made from the proposed rule.

Around the web

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. 

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.

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. 

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