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. 

Illinois prisoners to get $80 million mental health boost

Illinois is set to spend $80 million on providing mental health services for 11,000 prisoners at four facilities in the state. 

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HHS opioid actions would raise buprenorphine cap, delink payment from pain survey

hysicians will be able to prescribe a medication to combat opioid addiction to more patients as part of several new policies HHS has announced in an effort to fight the rise in misuse and deaths tied to both prescription and illegal opioids.

UnitedHealthcare sues national dialysis chain for fraud

UnitedHealthcare is suing a national dialysis company, claining American Renal Associates has been exploiting the insurance provider and its own poorer patients for money collected from dialysis treatment.

Senate committee discusses changes to physician self-referral law

The Stark law, which prohibits physician referrals for Medicare services to entities with which they share a financial relationship, is due for an overhaul, according to a report released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

FDA-approved stomach-draining device may face lawsuit

The Food and Drug Administration has approved several new weight loss interventions in the past year, but one in particular seems to be raising eyebrows among physicians.

NIH-funded study will track Zika infections on U.S. Olympic team

Athletes, coaches and staff traveling to Brazil as part of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics will be monitored by researchers for potential exposure to the Zika virus.

Largest generic drug company may join PhRMA

The trade association for brand-name drug manufacturers could soon count the largest generic drug maker among its members—and the brand-name companies aren’t entirely comfortable with the idea.

Nearly 600 U.S. clinics could be selling unregulated stem cell treatments

The risks of “stem cell tourism” might be overplayed, according to a new paper published June 30 in the journal Cell Stem Cell. But only because the real risks of unregulated stem cells might actually be within the U.S. 

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.