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Fans and foes of medical debt relief | Heat on the Hill for payer CEOs | One and done with algorithmic care | and more briefings

Several states use taxpayer dollars to help struggling residents pay down medical debt. One is considered a leader of the movement—by critics as well as proponents.

Texas announces childhood vaccine probe as RFK-backed group files RICO case against AAP

The Children’s Health Defense, a vaccine-skeptic lobby once chaired by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., filed a complaint in federal court against the American Academy of Pediatrics, alleging it engaged in systemic corruption. The same day, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his state would be investigating the financial ties between vaccine developers, insurers and pediatricians.

‘No Kings’ in healthcare: leaders serve patients by following the clinical problem

California’s decision to restrict the use of the title “doctor” in clinical settings underscores a growing disconnect between healthcare policy and the realities of modern care delivery. In an op-ed, health policy professor and former Virginia legislator, Dawn M. Adams, DNP, and Marissa J. Levine, MD, a public health physician and former Virginia health commissioner, argue that rigid physician-centric hierarchies no longer reflect how patients actually receive care.

Medtronic has secured CE mark approval for its Affera Sphere-360 catheter,

Medtronic’s newest all-in-one PFA catheter gains critical approval

The all-in-one mapping and single-shot PFA catheter was developed with electrophysiologist feedback in mind.

Vascular surgeon accused of double murder pleads not guilty

The 39-year-old vascular surgeon allegedly killed his ex-wife and her husband on Dec. 30. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.

CVRx hopes new research will expand access to heart failure therapy

The BENEFIT-HF trial, scheduled to begin enrollment in the months ahead, could significantly increase the number of patients eligible for CVRx's Barostim therapy.

The Boston Scientific Seismiq intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system entered commercial use in the U.S. in January 2026.

IVL competition heats up as Boston Scientific enters US market

Shockwave Medical, now a part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, sits at the top of the IVL market, but things are starting to get more competitive. Boston Scientific gained its own IVL system when it acquired Bolt Medical in 2025.

Gene editing software image from Scribe Therapeutics for its STX-1150 drug to treat LDL-C.

Coming soon: First-in-human study of gene-modifying drug for hypercholesterolemia

Gene-editing drugs have shown potential to treat a wide variety of diseases, and this will be one of the first in cardiovascular medicine to begin human trials.

Partho Sengupta, MD, DM, FACC, FASE, Henry Rutgers Professor of Cardiology and Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Chief of the Cardiovascular Service Line at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, offers an overview of the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiology. He offers insights from what he has seen from some of the more than 160 FDA-cleared algorithms specific to cardiovascular medicine and what is in development.

Exploring the evolution of AI in cardiology

Partho Sengupta, MD, shared his perspective on the current state of artificial intelligence in cardiology. The technology continues to evolve, he said, though it does still face certain limitations.

Raj Kedar, MD, MBBS, FACR, vice chair of radiology and the University of South Florida, and chief of radiology at Tampa General Hospital, discusses how radiology and the hospital planned to continue operations, despite likely being cut off due to flooding and outside power loss during hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024.

Tampa General radiology rides out 2 hurricanes with strategic disaster preparedness

Raj Kedar, MD, chief of imaging, discusses how the hospital planned to continue operations last fall when faced with hurricanes Helene and Milton.

GE HealthCare MRI magnetic resonance imaging

GE HealthCare signs $30M MRI deal with Pennsylvania hospital network

Bethlehem-based St. Luke’s University Health Network is the purchaser, seeking to expand access to advanced imaging while reducing scan times.

Congress Money washington DC legislation coverage payment

Bipartisan bill would require insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging nationwide

UPDATED: The Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act aims to eliminate a financial barrier to imaging access, patient advocates say.

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Health Exec

Fans and foes of medical debt relief | Heat on the Hill for payer CEOs | One and done with algorithmic care | and more briefings

Several states use taxpayer dollars to help struggling residents pay down medical debt. One is considered a leader of the movement—by critics as well as proponents.