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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Unnecessary ED visits for chronic conditions cost $8.3B

Emergency department (ED) visits for people with at least one of six prevalent chronic conditions contributed to approximately 50 percent of all annual visits at nearly 750 hospitals in 2017. 

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HHS launches new model for ambulatory services to serve outside the ED

HHS and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) introduced a new payment model for emergency ambulance services that would allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive care on the scene or at lower acuity sites, such as urgent care clinics.

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Higher employee satisfaction associated with improved patient care

Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) with higher levels of employee organizational satisfaction also tend to have higher safety scores and patient satisfaction ratings, according to new research published in the American Journal of Medicine.

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How PBMs will fare without rebates

The Trump administration’s recent proposal to eliminate rebates between drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) is not a big surprise to those who have been paying attention to the rhetoric of CMS and HHS officials, but the impact of swapping rebates for direct discounts is still a big question.

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Texas is trying to deal with surprise medical bills

Surprise medical bills, where patients get a sky-high bill in the mail weeks after they received care, are a major issue for consumers. But one state that has tried to help alleviate the pain of the bills has been overwhelmed.

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Former Google head: AI will impact healthcare jobs

Former Google China President Kai-Fu Lee believes the rise of AI “will come in waves,” he told FOX Business. Lee said healthcare is one of the industries that will benefit the most from AI. 

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Per-person healthcare spending reaches all-time high

Healthcare spending per person rose to an all-time high in 2017 for those covered by employer-sponsored insurance, according to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Average healthcare spending per individual rose 4.2 percent to $5,641, including medical and pharmacy claims.

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Healthcare revenues inch past the tech space

Health insurance is big business, according to revenue reports from major players in the space. In fact, the five largest conglomerates in healthcare and pharmaceuticals are on track to outpace revenues of the five preeminent technology companies, according to Axios.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”