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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Purdue Pharma reaches $270M settlement in opioid case

Purdue Pharma agreed to a $270 million settlement March 26 to help battle Oklahoma’s opioid crisis after a slew of lawsuits threatened to edge the company into bankruptcy.

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‘All-out war’: Trump administration supports ruling to invalidate entirety of Obamacare

The Trump administration filed a notice March 25 supporting a federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act should be thrown out in its entirety—a sharp pivot from the administration’s previous position that only parts of the law should be eradicated.

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CVS shares down 30% after Aetna merger

CVS Health’s merger with managed care company Aetna has resulted in lower stock shares and some financial stress, but strategies to reduce unnecessary medical expenses and capitalize on trends like cannabis legalization might ease some of that discomfort, CNBC reported March 21.

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Final 2019 open enrollment report: ACA sign-ups dip to 11.4M

CMS issued its final Health Insurance Exchanges 2019 Open Enrollment Report on March 25, touting stabilized premiums and extended “grandmother” policies amid sign-ups that numbered 300,000 fewer than last year.

Amazon accepting HSA, FSA cards for healthcare buys

Amazon is now accepting pre-tax health spending accounts in the form of health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible savings accounts (FSA), providing users with discounts for hundreds of everyday health items ranging from glucometers to fever strips.

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CMS updates drug spending dashboards

CMS has updated its drug spending dashboards with data for 2017, adding information for “thousands” more drugs included in Medicare Parts B and D and Medicaid to its publicly accessible database.

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Hospitals could soon publish negotiated prices

The Trump administration is reportedly considering requiring hospitals and other healthcare providers to publish the prices they charge insurance companies for services after the rates have been negotiated, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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CMS asks for input on selling insurance across state lines

CMS is looking for public input on how to regulate and operate the sale of health insurance coverage across state lines. The agency published a request for information (RFI) on March 6 with a public comment period of 60 days.

Around the web

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. 

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

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. 

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