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. 

Another 89 ACOs join federal cost-sharing programs

Eighty-nine new accountable care organizations (ACOs) serving 1.2 million Medicare patients in 40 states and Washington, D.C. officially entered into agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as of July 1.

Cleveland system keeps up with computer-assisted coding, documentation improvement

The Cleveland Clinic Health System (CCHS) is successfully evolving, using computer-assisted coding (CAC) to address clinical documentation improvement, ICD-10 implementation and more, according to an article published in the July issue of Journal of AHIMA.

Geisinger, Merck collaborate for patient adherence

Geisinger Health System and pharmaceutical company Merck will enter into a new multi-year collaboration designed to improve patient health outcomes by focusing on shared decision making between patients and physicians and improved patient adherence.

NEJM: Release your inner health IT productivity

A perspective article published in the June 14 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine set out to explain the IT productivity paradox and its relation to the rise of health IT implementations.

PwC: Healthcare spending growth slow for 4th year

Growth in healthcare spending in the U.S. has slowed considerably since 2009, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers's Health Research Institute. The organization projects medical costs will increase 7.5 percent for 2013, the fourth year in a row of relatively flat growth.

South Shore Hospital's security mistake results in $750K settlement

South Shore Hospital in Boston has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve allegations because the provider failed to protect the personal and confidential health information of more than 800,000 consumers, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced. The investigation and settlement resulted from a data breach reported to the AGs office in July 2010 that included individuals names, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers and medical diagnoses.

Milliman offers ACO cheat sheet

Actuarial firm Milliman has released an accountable care organization (ACO) cheat sheet to guide stakeholders through the ins and outs of Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer ACOs.

Health Affairs: EHR adoption programs should look beyond PCPs

To achieve EHR adoption nationwide, federal policies also may have to focus on encouraging adoption among non-primary care specialists, as well as addressing persistent gaps in the use of EHR systems by practice size, physician age and ownership status, according to an article published in the April edition of Health Affairs.

Around the web

No devices need to be returned at this time. However, the FDA warned, using these heart pumps without reviewing the updated instructions could result in "serious injury or death.” 

The FDA recently cleared the company's cable-free, credit card-sized heart monitor that produces 12-lead ECGs.

If 25% tariffs go into effect, it could have a big impact on the cost of medical imaging and radiotherapy systems, with many manufacturing facilities in Mexico.