Legislation shielding customers of failed Affordable Care Act (ACA) co-ops from penalties for not buying health coverage has passed the House, offering a slim exemption from one of the law’s signature components, the individual mandate.

More than a quarter (27 percent) of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workers responsible for approving cancer and hematology drugs went on to work for the companies making those drugs, according to a new study published in The BMJ.

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) harshly criticized HHS’s guidance on privacy and security for health information, saying it fails to meet cybersecurity standards of other federal agencies and provides advice to covered entities that doesn’t help prevent future data breaches.

Following up on plans HHS announced in June, CMS has outlined additional recruitment efforts to attract younger, healthier enrollees on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges to improve the risk pool.

The merger of Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Pinnacle Health System in Pennsylvania can be blocked by the Federal Trade Commission, according to a ruling by a federal appeals court judge, reversing a decision in May that went against the FTC.

The FDA approved a new drug called Amjevita Sept. 23. The drug, adalimumab-atto, is made by the California-based company Amgen and is biosimilar to the AbbVie drug Humira (adalimumab). 

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell doesn’t have much time left in her position. Her boss’s second presidential term is almost over, so her role as steward of his hallmark policy, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will be over too. 

Sept. 23 was the final day for insurers to confirm their health insurance exchange participation in the states relying on the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace. Last-minute decisions by two insurers will affect coverage options in Delaware, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.