New Jersey will maintain the penalty on a statewide level in 2019. Vermont's law will take more time, with a working group tasked with figuring out how to enforce the mandate beginning in 2020.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has added five new members, including a former head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and chief medical officers at HCA Healthcare and Geisinger Health System.

Researchers from Hannover Medical School in Germany have developed a tablet-based symptom drawing application to provide clinicians and patients with a way to assess pain. The team published its findings May 30 in JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

The $1.6 billion in cuts to Medicare payments made under the 340B drug discount programs could add to the financial stress of smaller not-for-profit hospitals and health systems, according to Standard & Poor (S&P)’s Global Ratings.

“Basically, anybody who knows anything about healthcare is opposed to these proposals,” said Sandy Praeger, a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush issued an apology for “regrettable incidents” after it was reported he had admitted to assaulting his now former wife, but he’ll remain CEO of the health IT company as its under pressure to accept a takeover bid from activist hedge fund manager Paul Singer.

One of the largest insurers in the U.S. behind the Big Five of UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Anthem, Cigna and Humana, WellCare would add more Medicaid and Medicare Advantage (MA) members with the purchase of Meridian Health Plans.

“It’s carrot and stick,” one person familiar with the strategy told Politico. “You’re with us or against us. It’s your call, but being against us is not going to stop us.”