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 falsely claims ACA open enrollment could be delayed

Donald Trump has been telling supporters and reporters that President Barack Obama is trying to delay open enrollment on health insurance exchanges until after Election Day—but the start date has been set in stone for months.

Medicare Advantage premiums will drop slightly for 2017

The average monthly premium for Medicare Advantage enrollees will drop about 4 percent, or $1.19, to $31.40, according to a new estimate released by CMS.

How the presidential race could affect uninsured rates, out-of-pocket costs

The state of health care would look dramatically different under a Hillary Clinton presidency than it would under Donald Trump, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund and the RAND Corporation.

Doctors might need to up their patient load during opioid epidemic

Only some doctors are qualified to prescribe certain drugs that help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms or overdose dangers from opioids. But they might not be treating as many patients as possible to make a dent in the nation’s opioid crisis.

Republicans question legality of potential settlements for insurers

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have asked for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to explain how the agency plans to settle lawsuits from health insurers over the multi-billion dollar shortfall in the Affordable Care Act’s risk corridor program.

How medical school students are choosing their own oaths

While today’s physicians normally don’t swear to Apollo like in the original Hippocratic oath, even more modern versions are falling out of fashion, with some medical schools letting students craft their own vow to “do no harm.”

Exchange premiums still lower than employer-sponsored plans without subsidies

Rising premiums for coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges have been labeled as a sign of the “death spiral” of the post-ACA market, but a report from the Urban Institute said those plans still offer lower premiums than employer-sponsored insurance.

OIG levies largest fine ever for corporate integrity agreement violation

Kindred Health Care, the largest provider of post-acute care services in the U.S., has paid a $3 million penalty for failing to comply with a corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Around the web

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. 

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

These companies were already part of the Johnson & Johnson family, but they had still retained their previous brand names. Now, each one is officially going by Johnson & Johnson MedTech. 

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