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.

Stewardship Health sale to private equity finalized for $245M
The physician group, once part of Steward Health Care, has been rebranded as Revere Medical.
Baxter producing IV solutions ahead of schedule at Asheville-area site
The company said its largest production line at its North Carolina plant is operational, accounting for 25% of total output. The site was damaged by flood waters from Hurricane Helene.
Hackers were inside an Iowa hospital’s network for two weeks
St. Anthony Regional Hospital confirmed patient data was taken by cybercriminals, but the August incident is still being investigated.
Bill introduced in Congress would raise physician reimbursement by 1.9%
The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act aims to change the annual Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services physician fee schedule, which cut reimbursement by 2.8% for 2025.
Good AI governance can spell the difference between smashing success and mere learning experience
Discussions of AI governance may cause many an eye to glass over, but the discipline is as crucial to the ascent of AI in healthcare as big training datasets drawn from diverse patient populations.

NIH awards $5.5 million to expand precision medicine program

Four regional medical center groups will receive $5.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to begin implementation of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Cohort program.

October 13, 2016

CMS aims to reduce physician burden ahead of final MACRA rule

Ahead of the release of the final rule overhauling Medicare reimbursement, CMS has announced a permanent initiative to reduce the burden of administrative work on physicians.

October 13, 2016

Maine could expand Medicaid in statewide vote

Medicaid could be expanded in Maine via a unique method: a statewide ballot referendum. 

October 13, 2016

FIRE AND ICE Analysis: Lower Healthcare System Costs with Medtronic Cryoballoon

DUBLIN AND SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA - Oct. 13, 2016 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) today unveiled new health economic analysis data from the FIRE AND ICE trial that favor cryoballoon catheter ablation over radiofrequency (RF) ablation related to trial period cost savings as a result of fewer cardiovascular (CV) rehospitalizations and repeat ablations. The data were presented at a late-breaking clinical trial session at the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society's Scientific Sessions in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

October 13, 2016

Why preventive care guidelines shouldn’t be tied to insurance coverage

Recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) shouldn’t be tied to insurance coverage, according to the physicians who helped craft those guidelines.

October 11, 2016

How one physician-legislator is trying to retain doctors in his home state

Unfriendly malpractice laws and a high cost-of-living are driving physicians away from Connecticut, according to State Rep. Prasad Srinivasin. And he should know, since he’s a physician himself.

October 11, 2016

Not just for opioids: Why PDMPs should cover all medications

Rather than use prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) only to track opioid prescriptions, two physicians writing in the American Journal of Managed Care suggested the concept be expanded to collect and report information on all prescriptions.

October 10, 2016

Multitude of healthcare groups ask Congress for a national patient identifier

Healthcare groups including HIMSS, AMIA and CHIME have written a letter to members of Congress asking for a national patient identifier to increase patient safety and the electronic exchange of data.

October 10, 2016

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

Stewardship Health sale to private equity finalized for $245M

Baxter producing IV solutions ahead of schedule at Asheville-area site

Hackers were inside an Iowa hospital’s network for two weeks

Bill introduced in Congress would raise physician reimbursement by 1.9%

Good AI governance can spell the difference between smashing success and mere learning experience

Around the web