The rumored acquisition of health insurance giant Aetna by CVS was officially announced on Dec. 3, with the companies calling the $69 billion deal a “unique opportunity to redefine access to high-quality care in lower cost, local settings whether in the community, at home, or through digital tools.” Unlike Aetna's abandoned merger with Humana, analysts predicted it may actually deliver on promised benefits for patient care.

Allowing patients to write or add notes to their medical health records could keep patients more engaged in their care while also improving relationships with their physicians and reducing physician workload, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers have developed accurate, personalized prosthetic implants for the middle ear using CT scans and 3D printing, according to a study presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting.

Emergency management, physical environment and life safety codes were the most frequently cited areas for deficiencies at healthcare facilities surveyed by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) in 2016, according to the organization’s latest quality report.

The annual list of measures being considered by CMS for inclusion in Medicare quality reporting and value-based programs is less than a third of the length of the previous list, reflecting the agency’s new commitment to reduce what physicians see as burdensome reporting standards.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma, MPH, told Reuters the agency is considering several options to limit Medicare and Medicaid’s costs for covering breakthrough medical treatments with very high price tags.

In a final rule issued on Nov. 30, CMS finalized changes to several mandatory bundled payment programs, canceling two surrounding hip fractures and cardiac care and reducing requirements in a joint replacement bundle.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said passing an Affordable Care Act (ACA) stabilization measure after getting rid of the ACA’s individual mandate would still leave 13 million fewer people insured by 2027 and cause premiums increase by an average of 10 percent over the same time period.