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.

Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas jeopardize millions in funding

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding may be in jeopardy as a result of Arkansas' Medicaid work requirement program, according to a recent analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.

November 6, 2018

CVS earnings outpace expectations as Aetna deal chugs along

On the cusp of completing a $69 billion merger with the nation’s third-largest health insurance provider, Aetna, CVS Health reported strong earnings that beat analysts’ expectations.

November 6, 2018

Survey says strong optimism for healthcare M&A in 2019

Healthcare M&A isn’t expected to slow down next year, according to a survey of healthcare executives by Capital One.

November 5, 2018

CMS cuts hospital outpatient rates in final rule

CMS plans to cut $380 million in 2019 by establishing site-neutral payments to hospitals. The change, which was outlined in CMS’ Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule on Friday, will lower out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries but also reduce payments for hospital-owned outpatient settings.

November 2, 2018

CMS finalizes physician fee schedule, delaying controversial coding change

CMS finalized the Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program, delaying a controversial coding change that would have resulted in a payment cut for doctors.

November 2, 2018

CMS finalizes new payment model for home health, boosts reimbursements for 2019

CMS finalized the 2019 home health prospective payment system, cementing a new payment model for the post-acute care space in 2020 and increasing payments for 2019.

November 1, 2018

FDA clears 23andMe genetic testing to market on drug metabolism

The FDA will allow genetic testing company 23andMe to market personal genome reports as a direct-to-consumer test of a person’s ability to metabolize some medications to help inform discussions with healthcare providers.

November 1, 2018

Maine health systems to combine into $3B entity

The hospital and other healthcare provider members of MaineHealth in Portland, Maine, will combine into one nonprofit entity beginning Jan. 1.

October 31, 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.