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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FDA to consider OTC birth control application

The application comes just weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion care in the U.S. for nearly 50 years.

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Theranos exec found guilty on 12 counts of fraud, conspiracy

The chief operating officer of the now defunct blood-testing company was found guilty of 12 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy. 

Biden signs executive order on reproductive healthcare

While the president does not have the authority to overturn a Supreme Court decision, the move could improve pathways to access for reproductive care.

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Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes payment cuts

The CMS proposal was met with immediate criticism from the American Medical Association. 

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Federal health officials put insurers on notice over contraceptive coverage

"It is more important than ever to ensure access to contraceptive coverage with no out-of-pocket costs under the Affordable Care Act," federal health leaders wrote in a letter to private insurers.

The most successful case to date of a pig organ being transplanted into a human occurred back in January, when specialists at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore transplanted a modified pig heart into 57-year-old David Bennett. The FDA approved the heart transplant transplant through an emergency authorization typically reserved for experimental procedures seen as a patient’s last chance at survival. Bennett did die of heart failure two months later, but UMMC specialists had been “

FDA may allow clinical trials of pig organ transplants into human patients

The FDA would approve trials on a case-by-case basis, according to an anonymous source close to the situation. 

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How the Supreme Court's environmental ruling impacts healthcare

The Supreme Court has issued another landmark ruling, rolling back authorization of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate greenhouse gas––and the healthcare industry isn’t happy about it.

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HHS issues privacy protection guidance after SCOTUS Roe decision

The SCOTUS decision threw patient privacy protections into question, as the ruling gave states the ability to criminalize receiving and providing abortions. Many are now wondering if health information apps could put them at risk.

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.