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.

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.
Public health coalition wins lawsuit against EPA for lack of fluoride oversight
A federal judge in California ruled existing evidence of the negative effects of fluoride in drinking water warrants an investigation and potential action from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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.

Out-of-pocket costs have little to do with price of procedures

As hospitals start to publish prices of their services, patients should theoretically be able to save money by shopping around. However, out-of-pocket costs to patients have little correlation with the amount insurers pay or the overall price of a procedure, according to a recent study of 14 representative Massachusetts hospitals by Pioneer Institute.

February 27, 2019

Physicians generate $2.4M for hospitals annually

Physicians are major drivers of hospital revenue, generating about $2.4 million each year, according to a new survey from Merritt Hawkins.

February 26, 2019

DOJ asks court for final approval of CVS-Aetna deal

The Department of Justice has asked a judge to approve the $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna, which was closed by the two companies at the end of 2018, Reuters reported. The deal has been hung up on court approval, though it has been approved by all other regulators and the DOJ.

February 26, 2019

More employers integrating healthcare benefits

More employers are actively integrating or considering integrating their medical, pharmacy, dental, vision and/or disability benefits under their health and wellness programs in the next five years thanks to the positive impact on employees, a study from Anthem found.

February 26, 2019

Crossover Health Acquires Sherpaa Health Virtual Primary Care Platform

Crossover Health, a leading provider of comprehensive health services for self-insured employers, announced today that it has acquired the exclusive rights to the technology platform developed by Sherpaa Health, the pioneer of virtual primary care.

February 26, 2019

GE to sell biopharma biz for $21B, postpone healthcare IPO

General Electric Company (GE) is selling its biopharma business to Danaher for $21.4 billion, the company announced Feb. 25. With a definitive agreement signed between the two parties, GE’s previous plan to spin off its healthcare sector with its own initial public offering is likely put on hold, GE Chairman and CEO Larry Culp told CNBC.

February 25, 2019

Report reveals drug middlemen snagged $124M in Kentucky

Drug middlemen gobbled up $123.5 million in hidden costs in Kentucky’s Medicaid program, according to a new report from the Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

February 25, 2019

Cigna, Anthem dispute bills after failed merger

A proposed merger between two major health insurance providers ended in a messy breakup after antitrust issues prohibited the roughly $50 billion transaction in 2017. Now, the two companies, Anthem and Cigna, are still disputing which company will foot the costs of the failed deal, Bloomberg Quint reported.

February 25, 2019

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.