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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MRI study underscores patients don’t shop around for lower prices

A new study has reaffirmed that consumers don’t really shop around to find lower healthcare prices.

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Star ratings really do reflect quality of care in Medicare Advantage

Higher star ratings may be associated with better patient outcomes in Medicare Advantage plans, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

 

Price transparency rattling hospitals to varying degrees, effects

A month and a half after hospitals were mandated to show their prices for shoppable services, anecdotal evidence shows some may be deeming the penalty of up to $300 per day insufficiently incentivizing.

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6 steps major new coalition will pursue to grow Obamacare, reach for universal healthcare

A new alliance of powerful associations representing providers, payers, hospitals and employers has formed to push U.S. healthcare toward universal coverage.

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US drug prices soar above international averages

Drug prices in the U.S. are significantly higher than those in peer countries, according to new research from RAND. In fact, compared with 32 other countries combined, drug prices in the U.S. are 256% higher.

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Biden to undo Trump-era healthcare policies

The Biden-Harris administration is planning to sign two executive orders to provide healthcare relief for those needing insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as undo some Trump administration policies that undermined the Affordable Care Act.

More evidence hospitals grudgingly complying on price transparency for ‘shoppable services’

Another quick field check has found the federal rule requiring hospitals to show their prices for shoppable services meeting with only spotty compliance since it went into effect Jan. 1.

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Large health system paying record $7.75M for carelessness with pain pills

Fifteen-hospital McLaren Health Care has agreed to pay $7.75 million for illegally distributing prescription painkillers. 

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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