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. 

Lawmakers join groups urging MU delay

A bipartisan group of congressional leaders has joined other calls for a delay in the Meaningful Use program. 

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New AHIMA tool ready to help with accurate coding

With the clock ticking down to the Oct. 1 deadline to transition to the ICD-10 dataset, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has introduced a new tool to help providers succeed with the transition.

Health insurance deals may increase costs for hospitals, physicians and patients

Two proposed mergers among four of the five largest health insurance companies in the U.S. would decrease competition and increase costs for hospitals, physicians and patients, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) analysis.

Medicare wellness visits causing confusion

When the Affordable Care Act first went into effect, one of the perceived benefits for physicians was the three new billing codes that cover various “wellness visits” for Medicare Part B patients. But so far, the perk is failing to live up to expectations. 

Survey shows dismal ICD-10 readiness

More than half of healthcare organizations are not yet ready for the Oct. 1 ICD-10 transition, according to a new survey.

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CMS names ICD-10 ombudsman

William Rogers, MD, director of the Physicians Regulatory Issues Team at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has been named ICD-10 ombudsman.

AHA issues ICD-10 countdown checklist

With just over a month to go until the Oct. 1 ICD-10 deadline, the American Hospital Association has released a checklist of key steps that hospitals should take to ensure a successful transition.

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Medicare’s 3-day hospital stay better off waived: analysis

Medicare has long required a three-day hospital stay before it will pick up the tab for a senior to move into a skilled nursing facility. A new data crunch shows that waiving this prerequisite shortens costly and risky hospital stays—without driving up admissions to skilled nursing facilities or lengthening stays therein.

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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