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.

62% of millennials would let insurers check social media if it lowered premiums

A majority of millennials—individuals between 18 and 34 years old—are willing to let health insurance companies access their social media, provided their premiums could be lowered, according to a survey from MuleSoft Inc.

June 19, 2018

6 factors behind PwC's 2019's medical cost trend of 6%

PricewaterhouseCoopers released its report on medical cost trends, which estimates numbers for 2019. The good news? Cost increases have leveled off—rising 6 percent in 2019. But for employers, these increasing expenditures do not lead to improved productivity. Medical costs continue to jump, while growth in labor productivity should remain near 1.1 percent for 2019—below the average annual increase of 2.3 percent in recent decades.

June 19, 2018

Trump administration announces tariffs on $50B of Chinese goods—including medical devices

After months of statements, speculation, trade talks, tweets and threats, the U.S. government has officially put tariffs in place on $50 billion worth of products imported from China, including medical imaging equipment. X-ray, CT and MRI equipment are all on the list of products included in this announcement.

June 15, 2018

Court rules against insurers seeking $12B in ACA risk corridor payments

In a Thursday, June 14, ruling, a federal appellate court denied claims from health insurers who claimed they were owed billions of dollars from an Affordable Care Act (ACA) program. The court ruled 2-1 against two insurers who wanted the federal government to repay them for covering sicker, more expensive patients than initially expected.

June 15, 2018

All quiet: Stryker says it's not discussing takeover of Boston Scientific

Medical device company Stryker filed a claim with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday saying it is not in discussions with Boston Scientific on a potential takeover.

June 14, 2018

Millions of Americans could be affected by "work-for-Medicaid" ruling

A federal court hearing has been scheduled regarding the Trump administration’s decision to give states the power to enforce work requirements on Medicaid enrollees.

June 14, 2018

AMA opposes non-ACA-compliant insurance plans without protections for preexisting conditions

Despite claims otherwise from President Donald Trump, the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land—though federal actions have increased instability in the ACA’s marketplaces. Following last year’s repeal of the individual mandate, insurers are now offering short-term, non-ACA-compliant policies, which could leave a sicker, older population shopping on ACA marketplaces.

June 12, 2018

HHS seeks voluntary drug price cuts from pharma companies

Officials from HHS are currently talking with pharmaceutical companies to pursue voluntary price cuts as part of President Donald Trump’s drug pricing plan, The Hill reports.

June 12, 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.