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. 

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Cost controls: Healthcare industry on a dangerous collision course

Two long-standing approaches to keeping healthcare costs down are on a “collision course” that could leave them both ineffective, according to a recent opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine. Do we have time to course correct or are we left to simply buckle our seatbelts and brace for impact?  

5,500+ new, revised ICD-10 codes in the works for 2017

More than 5,500 diagnosis and procedures codes will be added to the ICD-10 coding system for fiscal year 2017.

AMA, other orgs call for rejection of Aetna/Humana merger

The American Medical Association (AMA) has joined forces with the Florida Medical Association and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, and written a letter to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling on her to reject the proposed merger of Aetna and Humana.  

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Proposed ACO benchmarks may penalize the orgs serving the sickest patients

An analysis from Harvard’s department of healthcare policy shows such wide variation in baseline spending levels from one ACO to the next that any future benchmarking efforts, including those performed within single given regions, must roll out parity measures only gradually—or pay the price in the form of participation falloffs.  

vRad Shares Success from Complex ICD-10 Transition of 2,100+ Client Healthcare Facilities

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — (March 7, 2016) vRad (Virtual Radiologic), an affiliate of MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE: MD) and the leading national teleradiology services and telemedicine company, today announced that it will showcase insights and best practices learned from a successful ICD-10 transition of 2,100+ client facilities during a live webinar on March 9, 2016 at 12:00 pm CT. 

White House-backed bill to help states track banned providers passes House

The Ensuring Removal of Terminated Providers from Medicaid and CHIP Act (HR 3716), which helps states identify healthcare providers who have been banned from Medicare, a Medicaid program, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, has been unanimously approved by the U.S. House.

CMS issues ICD-10 maintenance toolkit

The healthcare industry transitioned to ICD-10 back on Oct. 1 with few problems. Despite the success, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a new toolkit designed to help providers track and improve their ICD-10 performance.

N.J. state senator calls out organizations opposed to Hepatitis C screening legislation

New Jersey’s Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee has approved legislation requiring hospitals and physicians to screen patients born between 1945 and 1965 for Hepatitis C. It was a bill both the New Jersey Hospital Association and the Medical Society of New Jersey opposed, and committee chairman State Sen. Joseph Vitale said the organizations “ought to be ashamed of themselves,” according to a report from NJ.com. 

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.