A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision seemed to open the door to more False Claims Act lawsuits against healthcare organizations while simultaneously applying some limitations which would favor providers.

Patients aren’t likely to be told anything to about their physicians’ criminal history, even in cases where they’ve settled criminal charges related to their work, like sexual abuse of patients and performing operations while drunk.

The American Medical Association’s support of removing a 20-year-old restriction on federally funded research on the public health effects of gun violence doesn’t appear to be changing the minds of Republicans in Congress.

The final hours of the American Medical Association’s annual meeting in Chicago were busy, as its delegates adopted new policies on a variety of topics, including several aimed at slowing down the rise in opioid addiction.

A federal judge said June 14 Chicago-area Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem can merge, despite a formal complaint from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) late last year and opposition from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The American Medical Association’s delegates have passed a resolution labeling gun violence as “a public health crisis,” promising to lobby Congress to end a 20-year-old ban on federally funded gun violence research.

In a speech at the American Medical Association’s annual meeting in Chicago, CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt emphasized the agency is dedicated to working with physicians on the proposed rule implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), especially to address worries about its effect on smaller practices.

A new proposed rule from CMS would make antibiotic stewardship programs mandatory for Medicare and Medicaid hospitals, along with changes in anti-discrimination policies, nursing requirements, readmissions information and patient nutrition standards.