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.

92% of rural Nebraska hospitals report financial hardship caused by Medicare Advantage plans
Members of the Nebraska Rural Health Association overwhelmingly expressed concerns that Medicare Advantage plans could jeopardize patient health. Some are considering dropping their contracts with the plans altogether.
Federal government moves in to support Asheville, other Helene disaster areas
Asheville's water treatment facility was heavily damaged, forcing its hospitals to operate using water brought in from trucks.
Catholic hospital sued for refusing to perform emergency abortion on a hemorrhaging patient
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing Providence St. Joseph Hospital to discourage an incident like this from happening in the future.
Newsom vetoes bill to regulate private equity transactions in healthcare
Assembly Bill 3129 would have given the California Attorney General oversight of all private equity investments or purchases involving a healthcare entity. Gov. Gavin Newsom argued that a similar regulatory framework is already in place.
FDA announces recall of Pfizer's fast-tracked sickle cell drug
The drugmaker is voluntarily withdrawing Oxbryta from the market due to a higher-than-acceptable risk of death.

Trump worries about healthcare poll, regrets enacting vaping restrictions

HHS Secretary Alex Azar took some heat from President Trump after a recent poll showed Democrats leading when it came to the issue of healthcare.

January 20, 2020

Medical researchers must understand risks associated with AI

AI is poised to change the healthcare industry forever—but risks remain that researchers must take seriously.

January 17, 2020

Hospital, health system model changes drove M&A in 2019

Changing models across hospitals and health systems helped drive mergers and acquisition activity in 2019, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall.

January 16, 2020

Without individual mandate, the ACA chugs along

The Affordable Care Act has remained strong despite the lack of an individual mandate, which was effectively stripped in the 2018 budget by Republicans.

January 16, 2020

UPMC designates $1B investment in life sciences

The innovation and venture capital arm of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is planning to invest $1 billion into life sciences to develop new drugs, diagnostics and devices over the next four years.

January 15, 2020

More healthcare M&A on the horizon in 2020

Executives in the healthcare space are expecting more M&A activity in 2020 compared to 2019, according to a new outlook from KPMG.

January 14, 2020

How drugmakers are working to get paid for their most expensive treatments

New medical treatments such as gene therapies come with a high price tag up to six figures, and drugmakers are working hard to ensure they can get reimbursed for these medicines in creative ways.

January 14, 2020

Digital health funding slowed in 2019

Global venture capital funding in digital health dropped 6% in 2019, with 615 deals nabbing $8.9 billion in capital.

January 13, 2020

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiology groups cheer new bill that would improve access to Medicare claims data

If passed, this bill would help clinician-led clinical registries explore Medicare data for research purposes. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and American College of Cardiology both shared public support for the bipartisan legislation.

Cardiovascular Business

Watchdog group, fearful of fraud, wants more oversight for remote patient monitoring

Cardiologists and other physicians may soon need to provide much more information when ordering remote patient monitoring for Medicare patients.

Cardiovascular Business

Most recalled cardiovascular devices gained FDA approval with little to no clinical evidence

Why are so many cardiovascular devices involved in Class I recalls? One possible reason could be the large number of devices hitting the market without undergoing much premarket clinical testing.

Policy & Regulations

92% of rural Nebraska hospitals report financial hardship caused by Medicare Advantage plans

Federal government moves in to support Asheville, other Helene disaster areas

Catholic hospital sued for refusing to perform emergency abortion on a hemorrhaging patient

Newsom vetoes bill to regulate private equity transactions in healthcare

FDA announces recall of Pfizer's fast-tracked sickle cell drug

Around the web