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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What major medical groups want in regulatory relief

The American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) submitted comments to the House’s health subcommittee suggesting options for rolling back healthcare regulations on quality measures, hospital ratings and physician self-referral laws.

ACA taxes still on Congress's radar

Republican hopes to repeal and/or replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) petered out in July, but healthcare industry groups still want Congress to delay the law’s health insurance and medical device taxes. The problem, according to Axios report Caitlin Owens, is finding the legislative vehicle to do so.

Iowa seeks changes to ACA subsidies, benefits

Iowa has submitted a plan to CMS to change Affordable Care Act regulations in the state, which would create a new reinsurance program, eliminate the metal-tiered benefit structures of ACA plans as well as end payment of cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies to insurers.

Medicaid buy-in proposal would raise payment rates to match Medicare

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is preparing to introduce legislation to allow Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange customers to buy into Medicaid, offering a government-run “public option” similar to ones discussed but ultimately left out of the law.

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More MIPS exemptions ‘relief’ to some, counterproductive to others

More than 1,100 organizations and individuals offered comments on proposed changes for the second year of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act’s (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP), and some questioned the reasoning behind exempting more clinicians from the new payment tracks.

Only 1 rural county still at risk of having no ACA insurer

Less than a month ago, CMS reported 40 counties were in danger of having no insurer offering coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange. As of Aug. 21, that number was shrunk to just one: Paulding County, Ohio.

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Trump quietly signs FDA user fee reauthorization

With almost zero fanfare, President Donald Trump signed the FDA Reauthorization Act (FDARA) of 2017 into law on Aug. 18, approving the user fee agreements paid by pharmaceutical and medical device companies to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Past HHS chiefs urge Congress, Trump to focus on stabilizing ACA markets

The immediate healthcare policy goal for Republicans should be dispelling uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, according to three former secretaries of HHS.

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.”