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. 

Trump meets with patients, doctors to discuss surprise medical bills

In an effort to curb “unexpected and outrageous bills,” President Trump invited patients and others to the White House to discuss their experiences with such pricing, Kaiser Health News reported. The discussion is part of Trump’s overall goal to impact drug prices and transparency in healthcare.

Thumbnail

Walgreens settles fraud cases for $269M

Walgreens Boots Alliance has settled two fraud cases with the Department of Justice, shelling out $269.2 million. In both cases, which arose from whistleblowers, Walgreens admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged by the government in its complaint under the False Claims Act.

Thumbnail

Government shutdown poses risks to ACA, healthcare services

The U.S. government shutdown, which is now the longest-running in history, could potentially harm consumers and undermine the stability of the Affordable Care Act healthcare insurance market, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Thumbnail

Support for Medicare for all remains above 50%

As progressive Democrats increasingly push for universal healthcare, known as Medicare for all, support for such a plan is mixed when it comes to paying for it, according to a recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Thumbnail

Pharma industry spending on lobbying exploded in 2018

The trade group for the U.S.'s top drugmakers spent a record amount—$27.5 million—on lobbying efforts in 2018, according to Bloomberg.

Thumbnail

More groups ask CMS to push back ACO deadline

More industry groups are pushing back against an upcoming deadline for accountable care organizations (ACOs) to apply to the updated Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Thumbnail

Medicare reimbursements don’t cover the cost of care

Medicare payments in 2019 aren’t likely to cover the cost of delivering care for two-thirds of medical practices, according to a survey from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

Thumbnail

As insulin prices rise, managing diabetes becomes more expensive

The average annual cost of managing type 1 diabetes has skyrocketed, with the rising cost of insulin being a main contributor, according to a new issue brief from the Health Care Cost Institute.

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.”