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.

Coca-Cola considers putting cannabis in a health drink

The Coca-Cola Company admitted it is taking a hard look at the use of cannabis in drinks after reports emerged that the company was in talks to develop a health drink infused with cannabidiol, a compound from the cannabis plant.

September 18, 2018

New CVS Health policy will exclude drugs above cost-effectiveness threshold

CVS Health will allow self-funded insurers to exclude some drugs from coverage if the cost is too high. The policy has been met with criticism from the pharmaceutical industry, which argues CVS is dividing treatment at arbitrary values.

September 18, 2018

$69B CVS-Aetna deal may get regulatory approval soon

CVS Health’s $69 billion takeover of Aetna may soon be greenlit by the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, according to Reuters, which cited a source familiar with the matter.

September 18, 2018

$67B Cigna-Express Scripts deal clears DOJ

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division has cleared the $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts by Cigna.

September 17, 2018

CMS proposes cutting more regulations

As part of its Patients Over Paperwork initiative, CMS has proposed another round of “red tape” cuts for healthcare providers that could reduce some burdens and loosen regulations across healthcare settings.

September 17, 2018

Jefferson and Einstein Healthcare Network reach definitive merger agreement

Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network have reached a definitive agreement to merge after previously announcing their intentions in March.

September 17, 2018

Dartmouth finds article is plagiarized, but NEJM refuses to retract it

The New England Journal of Medicine continues to refuse to retract an article after its lead author was accused of plagiarism and resigned amid an internal investigation, according to STAT. On Sept. 13, H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH, stepped down as a professor with the Dartmouth Institute in Lebanon, New Hampshire, after the university found he plagiarized two colleagues in a paper published in NEJM in 2016.

September 17, 2018

Maryland files lawsuit to protect the ACA

With a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in the hands of a federal judge in Texas, Maryland is taking the issue head on by filing a lawsuit that would keep the healthcare law intact.

September 14, 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.