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. 

CMS's Griner Defends Open Payments Regulations

Dislike the Open Payments regulations (also known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act) that are part of the Affordable Care Act? In a blog post for Health Affairs, Anita Griner, deputy director of the Data Sharing and Partnership Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Center for Program Integrity, explains why the regulations are a good idea and the burden they may create on physicians and manufacturers is likely overstated.

WEDI Offers Complimentary ICD-10 Compliance Training Through Webinar Series

Reston, VA, February 10, 2014 -- The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Cooperative Exchange and other private industry partners, today announced the launch of its ICD-10 Success Initiative webinar series. The purpose of these webinars is to help health IT stakeholders meet the October 1 ICD-10 compliance deadline and to provide answers to common questions.

Bloomberg News: Administration's Studies of New Payment Systems Employ Faulty Data Analysis

The government's release of first-year cost-savings results for its accountable care organization (ACO) project and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center delivery system reform pilot projects have drawn criticism from both the New York Times and the Washington Post, which published articles pointing out the problems with drawing conclusions from studies that are not true randomized controlled trials. In short, correlation is not causation, and the early results, while interesting, are not the same as proof that ACOs and new reimbursement methods like bundled payments actually deliver better care more cheaply. In a commentary, Bloomberg News summarized the controversy.

Meditab Software Guarantees ICD-10 Readiness and Provides Tips on Preparing for the ICD-10 Transition

Meditab Software Inc., known for its award-winning Intelligent Medical Software (IMS) integrated EHR, practice management, patient portal and reporting solutions, is guaranteeing that IMS will be ICD-10 ready by February 15, 2014, and they are backing that guarantee up with a money-back policy.

Nuance Unveils ICD-10-Ready Platform for Computer-Assisted Coding and Clinical Documentation Improvement at AHIMA

AHIMA CONFERENCE--Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced a significant enhancement to its Clintegrity 360 platform that integrates clinical documentation improvement (CDI) and computer-assisted coding (CAC) into one seamless process. This single, web-based solution creates a natural and efficient way for clinicians to create more complete and accurate clinical documentation, while supporting downstream revenue cycle and quality reporting processes. Nuance Clintegrity 360 will be demonstrated in booth #1226 at the 2013 American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Convention & Exhibits October 27 – 30.

Editorial: ACA drives reform, innovation

The Affordable Care Act’s goal to promote reforms to the "overpriced, underperforming" U.S. healthcare system is often overlooked in the healthcare debate sweeping the country right now, argues New York Times op-ed columnist Bill Keller.

Xerox Ranked as a Leader for Innovative Health Insurance Services

NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 16, 2013 – Xerox (NYSE: XRX) was designated as one of the best positioned business process outsourcing (BPO) providers to support health insurance companies in complying with the Affordable Care Act.

HIX federal data services hub completed

Federal health officials announced a major milestone for the health insurance exchanges, scheduled to open for enrollment on Oct. 1.

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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