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.

Over 300 groups urge Senate GOP to reject Medicaid cuts
In an open letter, advocacy groups said the budget proposal passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would “shred our nation’s social safety net.”
HHS to cut 10,000 jobs during 'dramatic restructuring'
The agency said it plans to reduce staff by 25% and consolidate 28 divisions into 15. However, it said Medicare and Medicaid will remain operational.
Trump selects GOP general counsel for HHS Inspector General
Thomas March Bell has been officially nominated and now faces the Senate for confirmation. Bell has a decades-long history working as a Republican staffer.
ACC urges RFK Jr. to make Medicare reform a priority, warns against mass layoffs
The American College of Cardiology has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlines some of the organization’s central priorities and concerns.
ISIS is not launching terrorist attacks against hospitals, FBI says
Trade groups released a statement denying the claim's credibility, but they fear some may be inspired by a widely shared social media post.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) HQ

HHS employees offered two months of pay to quit their jobs

That’s in addition to the $25,000 buyout offer from the federal government. Employees have until Friday to resign.

artificial intelligence ai in healthcare

To tell or not to tell: Do patients really need to know who—or what—writes their doctor’s notes?

When blinded as to authorship, healthcare consumers slightly prefer medical messages composed by generative AI to those written by human clinicians.

CMS ends ACA special enrollment, changes deadline for signing up

Changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act marketplace, with the new deadline for annual enrollment shifted to Dec. 15.

Report: NIH continues to pull research grants, in violation of court orders

While the policy of President Donald Trump is to axe research on transgender issues and DEI, scientists who spoke to the Boston Globe said their work does not run up against those restrictions.

HHS sends 80K workers a $25K ‘voluntary’ resignation notice

Per a media report, employees received the offer via email on Friday. No official layoffs have been announced.

More than 1,000 hospitals earn $700M opioid crisis judgment

Drug distributors AmerisourceBergen (Cencora), Cardinal Health, McKesson, Johnson & Johnson, Teva and Allergan do not admit to wrongdoing. However, they have agreed to a settlement which will compensate providers for opioid abuse treatments.

VA planning 83,000 layoffs as part of restructuring

The reports are based on a leaked internal memo in which the agency said it’s working closely with Elon Musk’s DOGE to cut jobs.

artificial intelligence AI in healthcare cybersecurity

HIMSS survey report: Beware insider threats to cybersecurity involving AI

Almost one in three healthcare organizations allow their people to use AI without formal restrictions.

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

ACC urges RFK Jr. to make Medicare reform a priority, warns against mass layoffs

The American College of Cardiology has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlines some of the organization’s central priorities and concerns.

Radiology Business

FDA announces recall of Medtronic interventional radiology devices after 17 injuries, 4 deaths

One product is being pulled from the market, and the other is receiving updated instructions for use.

AI in Healthcare

What federal regulators can learn from the states about AI oversight

If the Trump administration continues taking a laissez-faire stance toward AI—including AI used in healthcare—why not let the states go it alone on regulating the technology?