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.

FTC sues PBMs and GPOs for insulin price collusion
In a statement announcing its lawsuit, the FTC said Caremark, Optum RX and Express Scripts benefit from manufacturer rebates and ignore lower-costing drugs as a way to artificially increase prices.
FTC sues drug middlemen over insulin prices, puts others on notice
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.
Study ranks US health system dead last among wealthy nations
Low rankings for accessibility and outcomes earned the country the overall lowest ranking in an analysis of healthcare systems across 10 nations.
Landmark opioid trial in Baltimore set to begin; Johnson & Johnson settles to avoid jury
Six companies have settled with the city for as total of over $402M. Two remaining defendants, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, will test their luck in court.
Coalition of 86 healthcare groups calls for change to Affordable Care Act rule
In a letter to Congress, the groups are urging lawmakers to support HR 9001 and lift the ban on physician-run hospitals.

Cigna to buy Express Scripts for $67B

Cigna announced this morning it will buy Express Scripts in a deal worth a total of $67 billion. The health insurer will assume $15 billion in debt from the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) in addition to the $52 billion stock-and-cash transaction.

March 8, 2018

Massachusetts officials give thumbs-up to Beth-Israel-Lahey merger

A potential merger of 13 hospitals in Massachusetts, led by Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health, has been endorsed by state health officials, claiming it will improve services for patients.

March 7, 2018

HIMSS18: 6 key data points from US leadership, workforce survey

As the healthcare professionals touch down in Las Vegas for the 2018 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), the organization released its annual survey of the marketplace. HIMSS published the 2018 U.S. HIMSS Leadership and Workforce Survey on March 6, which examines trends in employment, technology and expectations.

March 6, 2018

HIMSS18: CMS's Verma warns information blocking will no longer be tolerated

CMS Administrator Seema Verma, MPH, announced at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas new agency initiatives aimed at promoting interoperability and giving patients easier access to health records, drawing applause for talk about reforming regulations while the audience of health IT professionals sat silent when she warned of a crackdown on information blocking.

March 6, 2018

HIMSS18: Out-of-pocket costs increased 11% in 2017

The trend of costs increasingly being shifted onto patients continued in 2017 with average out-of-pocket costs hitting $1,813 in 2017, an 11 percent jump from the year before, according to an analysis released by TransUnion Healthcare at the HIMSS18 conference in Las Vegas.

March 5, 2018

Who’s the boss? Atrium-UNC Health merger killed over leadership structure

Discussions for a blockbuster merger between Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas Healthcare) and UNC Health Care have ceased, according to the Charlotte Observer, because executives were unable to solve disagreements on the structure of the joint operating company’s leadership.

March 5, 2018

HHS Secretary against using medical marijuana as alternative to opioid for treating pain

In a visit to the Dayton, Ohio area, HHS Secretary Alex Azar was asked by Yellow Spring News what role he’d envision for medical marijuana as an alternative to prescription opioids for pain relief.

March 5, 2018

Immigration status impacts Medicaid enrollment in non-ACA-expansion states

Does immigration status affect Medicaid enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), both in states that expanded services and those that did not? Recent research found no differences in Medicaid coverage between mixed-status households and non-mixed-status households. But in states that did not expand Medicaid, coverage rates were lower for individuals in mixed-status households compared to the non-mixed-status population. 

March 5, 2018

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

FTC sues drug middlemen over insulin prices, puts others on notice

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.

Cardiovascular Business

Cath lab techs and nurses see new normal with post-COVID pay

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.

Cardiovascular Business

Merit Medical to purchase Cook Medical’s lead management portfolio for $210M

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