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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CDC: Uninsured rate hit record low in 2015

Though 28.6 million Americans remained uninsured in 2015, the number has decreased since the broadest provisions of the Affordable Care Act went into effect. In 2013, the total number of uninsured stood at 44.8 million people.

FTC chair blames hospital price increases on consolidation

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez criticized the growing number of hospital mergers in a May 13 speech, according to The Washington Post.

ACA exchange exits leave more rural areas with one insurer

At least 650 counties are set to have only one insurer to choose from in 2017, up from 225 in 2016.More than

Supreme Court kicks ‘contraceptive mandate’ cases back to lower courts

The Supreme Court won’t rule on challenges by non-profit religious hospitals, colleges, and charities that the Affordable Care Act’s so-called “contraceptive mandate” violates religious freedoms

Oklahoma reconsidering Medicaid expansion

Republican leaders argue Medicaid "rebalancing" isn't the same as what was initially offered under the Affordable Care Act.

Ex-HHS official: HIPAA must keep up with mobile health

The federal regulatory environment has not kept pace with the progress of mobile health, which is driven by consumers who expect to have all sorts of information, including health data, on their phones, said Jeffrey Dunifon, an associate attorney at Baker & Mckenzie who previously was an investigator at the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

HHS finalizes anti-discrimination rule

HHS clarifies that protections against gender discrimination included in the Affordable Care Act apply to gender identity.

FDA changes warning label on fluoroquinolones

Safety review of the drugs associated their use with “disabling and potentially permanent serious side effects” involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system.

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.