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. 

Bill introduced in Congress would raise physician reimbursement by 1.9%

The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act aims to change the annual Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services physician fee schedule, which cut reimbursement by 2.8% for 2025. 

AI governance meeting

Good AI governance can spell the difference between smashing success and mere learning experience

Discussions of AI governance may cause many an eye to glass over, but the discipline is as crucial to the ascent of AI in healthcare as big training datasets drawn from diverse patient populations.

private equity corporatization business consolidation

Private equity owns 900 patient care centers in Philadelphia, report finds

Physical therapy practices in greater Philadelphia are of particular interest to private equity firms, with 271 locations owned by six companies. The report comes from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP). 

 

Stark Law Kickback Erlanger

Pharmacy fined $39M for fraud after 7-day trial

Florida-based Assured RX was found to be complicit in billing a Connecticut health plan $10M, sending kickbacks to co-conspirators who formerly worked for the state. 

Q&A: Medicaid evolving to meet the mental health and material needs of patients

The former Medicaid Director of Texas, Gary Jessee, tells HealthExec that state healthcare programs are raising the bar for care access and quality, even for patients covered by commercial plans. 

the words "FDA recall" on a board

FDA issues Class I update on robotic arms due to risk of fire

A protective coating on Jaco Assistive Robotic Arms from Kinova could become damaged, leading to exposed metal causing an electrical fire when it comes into contact with a powered wheelchair.

Smith Medical FDA issues BLU tracheostomy tubes FDA recall

FDA issues Class I recall on tracheostomy tubes after 12 injuries

The Smiths Medical BLUSelect and related products have a manufacturing defect and must be removed from stocks immediately. 

MGMA's Anders Gilberg discusses concerns on Medicare physician fee schedule

MGMA concerned by 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Senior Vice of Government Affairs, Anders Gilberg, explains MGMA’s 28-page letter to CMS on issues with the proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
 

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.