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.

Cigna, Express Scripts close $67B merger

After a delay, Cigna has closed its $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts, the company confirmed on Dec. 20.

December 20, 2018

Value-based care made major headway in 2017

The shift to value-based care made significant headway in 2017, according to a new survey from the Health Care Transformation Task Force that found nearly half of their business was in value-based payment arrangements by the end of the year.

December 20, 2018

3 in 10 Americans delay healthcare due to high costs

Roughly 3 in 10 Americans don’t seek medical care because they can’t afford it, according to a recent Gallup poll.

December 20, 2018

CMS to scrutinize conflicts of interest among accrediting organizations

CMS wants to take a closer look at the financial relationships of accrediting organizations (AOs) that survey Medicare-certified healthcare providers.

December 20, 2018

Judge tells CVS, Aetna to keep operations separate during antitrust review

A federal judge who has been reviewing the $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna has told the two companies to keep some operations separate during the ongoing antitrust process, The New York Times reported.

December 19, 2018

$67B Cigna-Express Scripts deal approved by final regulator

Cigna received its final approval from regulators for its $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts. New Jersey approved the transaction, clearing the way for the deal to close, according to a public filing from Cigna.

December 19, 2018

Drugmakers Pfizer and Glaxo to combine business units

Drug manufacturing giants Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline will combine their consumer healthcare units in a separate joint venture that will be the world’s largest seller of over-the-counter medicines.

December 19, 2018

Biggest healthcare deals of 2018

The global healthcare industry continued its hot streak in 2018, with bigger transactions that could reshape the future landscape.

December 18, 2018

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.