A proposed rule would implement several changes in how health insurers operate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the rule will be published in the Federal Register on Dec. 7.

Two pay-for-performance (P4P) programs implemented in Maryland are showing how state-level efforts to set payment rates are influencing provider behavior and improving patient outcomes, according to research published in the December issue of Health Affairs. 

The FDA is entering a public-private partnership with the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) to help speed the development, assessment and review of new medical devices.

Approximately 70 percent of voters believe reining in high healthcare costs should be a top post-election priority, according to an online survey of 1,200 conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Accountable care organizations taking on a variety of forms are becoming more active in the healthcare landscape, but they’re far from proving their value, according to a report published by market researcher KLAS and consulting firm Leavitt Partners.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) appear to be gaining traction in the healthcare system, covering up to 10 percent of patients, and some early adopters are successfully transforming themselves into more efficient health networks, according to a Nov. 29 report published by Oliver Wyman. 

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) doubts the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ability to oversee the Meaningful Use (MU) program and offered recommendations to strengthen the program’s integrity in a November report.

When storms like Hurricane Sandy hit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency assumes the center stage in disaster relief, but it’s not the only federal agency providing emergency support. When natural disasters strike, the FDA works behind the scenes to address the harmful effects.