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. 

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DOJ will examine Cigna-Express Scripts deal

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will review Cigna’s $67 billion proposal to acquire Express Scripts, the results of which are likely to have major ramifications on other vertical integrations being explored across healthcare.

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Procter & Gamble buying Merck’s health brands for $4.2B

Procter & Gamble has announced it will acquire the consumer health business of Germany-based Merck in a $4.2 billion deal, adding more over-the-counter medications to P&G’s existing product offerings.

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Dem senators introduce plan for ‘public option on steroids’

Millions more Americans could pick Medicare as their health insurer under a bill introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, by making it a public insurance option on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges and for employers.

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Piedmont, Georgia BCBS settle contract dispute after governor gets involved

One of the largest health systems in Atlanta and one of Georgia’s biggest insurers have settled a months-long dispute over a new contract after Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal threatened to take executive action to push the sides to negotiate.

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FDA releases plan for improving medical device safety

“Although medical devices provide great benefits to patients, they also present risks,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. “And we are focusing equal attention on advancing new frameworks for identifying risks and protecting consumers.”

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Hospitals have the most to lose from healthcare’s blurring lines

The wave of megamergers involving health insurers could place the greatest pressure on both not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals, according to a report from Moody’s Investors Service, if these new combinations steer patients away from hospital-owned facilities.

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What pharma fears about Trump’s upcoming speech on drug prices

President Donald Trump will deliver a speech on April 26 focused on ways to lower prescription drug prices, but the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t expect it to include the more dramatic reforms Trump espoused on the campaign trail.

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Amazon won’t sell drugs to hospitals, but may still compete with pharma in other ways

Amazon has reportedly shelved plans to sell and distribute pharmaceuticals to hospitals and health systems through its Amazon Business unit, a move which analysts said illustrates the difficulty outside companies face in disrupting the existing healthcare supply chain.

Around the web

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. 

Cardiologists and other physicians may soon need to provide much more information when ordering remote patient monitoring for Medicare patients.

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. 

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