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.

38% of Americans unaware ACA is still in effect

A large chunk of the American population doesn’t know when the open enrollment period is to purchase healthcare insurance, according to a recent study by insuranceQuotes. And recent political moves have contributed to confusion among Americans.

October 30, 2018

$5.6B acquisition of LifePoint Health approved by shareholders

A $5.6 billion merger between LifePoint Health and RCCH Healthcare Partners, which is owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, has been approved by LifePoint’s shareholders.

October 30, 2018

Insurers and payers are setting vastly different healthcare prices

Healthcare insurance companies and payers negotiate rates with providers for services and care delivered to consumers, but not all prices are negotiated the same.

October 30, 2018

Volume remains high, but healthcare deal values drop

Healthcare deals were still happening at a quick clip during the third quarter of the year, but the value of deals declined, according to the latest analysis from PwC.

October 29, 2018

Not everyone agrees Trump's new drug pricing model will work

Industry groups and healthcare experts disagree on various parts of President Trump's new plan to lower Medicare Part B drug prices, which was announced last week.

October 29, 2018

Amazon will sell exclusive line of medical products

In another step into the healthcare arena, Amazon has teamed up with a health brand consultancy company to sell exclusive medical products on the Amazon marketplace, CNBC reported.

October 29, 2018

Harvard: Seriously ill people face seriously high medical bills, even when insured

More than 90 percent of seriously ill patients in the U.S. have health insurance coverage, but a substantial amount of this population is not financially protected, according to a recent survey.

October 26, 2018

Trump signs new opioid bills, introduces rule to lower drug prices

President Trump announced a new rule that would tackle high drug prices by tying payments to international prices and signed a package of opioid bills into law.

October 25, 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.