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.

‘President of common sense’: Trump reschedules marijuana, improving patient access
By signing an executive order, President Donald Trump has shifted marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, opening the door for medical and research uses nationwide.
FDA clears Abbott delivery device for closing holes in the hearts of premature infants
Cardiologists now have a new tool to assist with PDA closure in these vulnerable patients.
American College of Radiology’s longtime head of advocacy to retire
Cynthia R. Moran joined the organization in 2003 after previously spending a decade as director of government relations with the American Academy of Ophthalmology
In brief: Dems and GOPers both wrong about healthcare | Physician trainees literally going hungry | Uplifting points of 2025 light
Democrats want to keep Obamacare going. Republicans want to replace it, ideally with health savings accounts. Regardless of which approach holds sway this week—or whenever—either one would be woefully shortsighted.
House GOP slaps down ACA subsidies as ‘Lower Health Care Premiums Act’ moves to Senate
A Hail Mary attempt by a bipartisan group to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits failed. The new bill contains some reforms, including new reporting requirements for PBMs and support for associated health plans. It now faces the Senate.

ACC President Cathie Biga, MSN, president/CEO Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, discusses a letter ACC sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stressing some of the big challenges facing healthcare and cardiology from Trump administration policies.

'We need to come together as a nation': Why science, not politics, should guide healthcare policies

ACC Immediate Past President Cathie Biga spoke to Cardiovascular Business about some of the challenges healthcare faces in the wake of mass layoffs and significant funding cuts put in place by the Trump administration.

Supreme Court lifts Ninth Circuit order that reinstated federal workers

Among the agencies impacted is the Department of Veterans Affairs, which released thousands of probationary workers as part of a staffing purge conducted by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

FDA clears new device for enabling access to the heart’s surface without an exposed needle

CardioVia's ViaOne technology includes a blunt-tip needle that remains concealed to help interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists treat cardiac arrhythmias with a reduced risk of perforation or any other complications.

Deaths after TAVR are on the rise: Is the pandemic to blame or should cardiologists be concerned?

COVID-19 may help explain the increased rates of cardiac and noncardiac mortality among TAVR patients, but there are several other factors to consider as well. Researchers explored nearly 11 years of STS/ACC registry data to learn more.

Radiology groups spar over certificate-of-need application for $1.7M new MRI scanner

Diagnostic Imaging of Southbury recently asked for permission to buy a second MR system, with its first currently operating at 120% capacity.

ACR urges Trump administration to exempt VA teleradiologists from return-to-office mandate

The college's concerns relate to the National Teleradiology Program, which employs over 200 rads providing reads to 130-plus healthcare facilities.

Medicare Advantage Part C clipboard payment

CMS boosts Medicare Advantage reimbursement as Dr. Oz takes over

CMS more than doubled the raise in payments for covered services proposed by Biden, increasing the amount from 2.23% to 5.06%.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sign.

Judge halts HHS’s $11B cuts to state healthcare programs

In issuing an injunction, a federal district court in Rhode Island ruled that states and their populations would suffer irreparable harm if the funds allocated by Congress were not granted to them.

Policy & Regulations

‘President of common sense’: Trump reschedules marijuana, improving patient access

FDA clears Abbott delivery device for closing holes in the hearts of premature infants

American College of Radiology’s longtime head of advocacy to retire

In brief: Dems and GOPers both wrong about healthcare | Physician trainees literally going hungry | Uplifting points of 2025 light

House GOP slaps down ACA subsidies as ‘Lower Health Care Premiums Act’ moves to Senate