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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Websites advertise non-existent 'Trumpcare' health plans

Trumpcare healthcare plans pop up in online search results for health insurance, but there’s one problem: Trumpcare plans aren’t actually real.

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Trump impeachment inquiry could put healthcare deals on back burner

As House Democrats launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump, bipartisan healthcare efforts focused on lowering drug prices and healthcare costs are at risk of falling by the wayside, The Hill reported.

CMS finalizes omnibus paperwork reduction rule

CMS has issued a final rule to reduce paperwork burdens for hospitals and other healthcare providers through its Omnibus Burden Reduction.

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Insurance premiums––and affordability concerns––keep rising

Insurance premiums are rising at a much faster rate than earnings growth or inflation, according to new data from the annual Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey, outlined in Health Affairs.

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CMS finalizes $4B in cuts to DSH program

CMS has finalized a proposed rule to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program that will result in $4 billion in payment cuts in 2020.

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Kaiser avoids workforce strike with new agreement

Kaiser Permanente has reached a new contract settlement with 80,000 workers based in California, effectively averting a scheduled strike in October.

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Switching to high-value physicians in Medicare saves $286B

If physicians caring for Medicare fee-for-service patients were all high-value physicians, the federal program could cut healthcare costs by a whopping $286.8 billion from 2020 to 2029, according to UnitedHealth Group. For 2020 alone, Medicare could save more than $20 billion if all physicians were considered high value.

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Medicare Advantage, Part D premiums drop

Medicare Advantage premiums are expected to drop 23% from 2018 levels ahead of the new enrollment period, CMS announced, stating that plan choices, benefits and enrollment have increased.

Around the web

The FTC alleges that pharmacy benefit managers have set up a system where they get rich, while patients are forced to pay rising insulin costs. The agency also called out drug manufacturers such as Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk, saying their own actions have raised serious concerns.

In the post-COVID era, wages for permanent RNs are rising, and wages for travelers are decreasing. A new report tracked these trends and more. 

Two medical device companies have announced a transaction that could shake up the U.S. electrophysiology market. 

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