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. 

‘Dramatic slowdown’ in value-based care transition—and how Congress can jumpstart it

Members of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) reported the transition to value-based care is slower than expected, with more multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems predicting fee-for-service (FFS) payments will take up a greater percentage of revenues in the next few years than originally projected.

Medicaid expansion in New York now covers transgender healthcare

Youths in New York are now covered by Medicaid to receive gender-transition care, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.

Maryland co-op suspended from individual market

Evergreen Health Cooperative won’t be able to issue or renew plans for 2017 until regulators decide whether it can convert into a for-profit insurer.

What’s working against ACA repeal

The death of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has looked all but certain since the election of Donald Trump. Debate has focused on how and when, not if, the law would be rolled back, but one Democratic healthcare lobbyist is offering a different scenario.

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FDA releases new hearing aid guidance, in effect immediately

The FDA has issued a release that details ways to improve access to hearing aids for the 30 million Americans currently suffering from hearing loss. The guidance document will take effect immediately.

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$6.3 billion 21st Century Cures Act passes in big win for drug companies, device makers

The U.S. Senate has approved a bill aimed at speeding up regulatory approval for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as providing extra funding for medical research, the Precision Medicine Initiative, and the cancer “moonshot.”

Current ACA repeal plan carries $1.1 trillion increase in uncompensated care costs

The number of uninsured people would more than double and the individual insurance market would collapse if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed through a fast-track process called budget reconciliation.

Insurers want more time to decide on 2018 ACA exchange participation

With Congress and the next president promising repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the nation’s largest health insurance lobby wants a delay for insurers to submit plans to offer coverage on the law’s exchanges for 2018.

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.”