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.

Kentucky gets OK to dismantle state exchange site

Another state is moving to the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace rather than running its own exchange, after Kentucky has been given permission to shut down kynect, its state-run site.

October 5, 2016

Uneven ground: Freestanding EDs face patchwork regulation

While freestanding emergency departments (EDs) are becoming more popular, regulations and requirements on these facilities vary widely between states, which may lead to facilities being built where they’re not needed.

October 4, 2016

UnitedHealthcare, Humana, CVS join new value-based prescription model

The participants in CMS’s Medicare Part D model designed to incentivize medication adherence programs will include some of the largest insurers in the U.S.

October 4, 2016

BioBridge Global-led biotech team awarded $7.8 million Army contract

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A four-organization biotech group led by San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global (BBG) has been awarded a $7.8 million contract from the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC).

October 4, 2016

CDC: Physicians should confirm patients’ penicillin allergies

New research from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to evidence that many patients who claim they have a penicillin allergy may actually not have one.

October 4, 2016

CDC updates recommendations on avoiding pregnancy after Zika

As researchers begin to understand more about the Zika virus, the CDC is updating its recommendations for the public based on new information. On Sept. 30, the agency changed its guidelines to recommend couples wait at least six months from the last possible exposure to Zika before trying to become pregnant. 

October 3, 2016

House Republicans to CMS: Bundled payments shouldn’t be mandatory

Some 179 members of Congress have accused CMS of overstepping its authority in making bundled payment models, like one for cardiac episodes, mandatory without getting their approval.

October 3, 2016

California enacts new laws on nurse staffing, balance billing

A flurry of legislative activity in California in September included several new laws that will impact healthcare in the state.

October 3, 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