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.

SCAI: Noncompete contracts unfairly bind cardiologists to hospitals unless they move
"These provisions are contained in what amounts, in many cases, to contracts of adhesion, because a physician’s only choice is to accept the terms of the contract without revision or else forgo employment," the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions wrote to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
ACR blasts ‘deeply flawed’ Anthem policy targeting out-of-network radiologists
Last month, the insurance giant announced it will begin charging hospitals a 10% administrative penalty for claims that involve docs outside of its networks.
White House official promises announcement in ‘coming days’ on healthcare, as Trump preps for nationwide tour
The source told Reuters an announcement is coming but provided no specifics. Meanwhile, Republican senators have begun drafting legislation to distribute payments directly to Americans for the purpose of buying insurance—an idea Trump floated in a social media post.
Colorado law barring medical debt from credit reports faces federal challenge from trade lobby
While the law sunsets in 2028, ACA International and the debt collector Creditors Bureau USA are not waiting. They filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that Colorado is illegally restricting free speech, in violation of the First Amendment.
New physician Medicare payments for the Agent drug-coated balloon set for 2027
Boston Scientific said two category III CPT codes are set to become permanent category I codes for physician payments starting Jan. 1, 2027.

FDA warning letter: iRhythm committed multiple violations, failed to report patient deaths in time

“It is your firm’s responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations administered by FDA,” according to the warning letter. These issues, the agency added, “may be symptomatic of serious problems in your firm’s manufacturing and quality management systems.”

Startup scores FDA clearance for virtual reality tool that creates patient avatars via CT, MR images

Avatar Medical said its VR solution can serve as an aid in pre-operative planning or for use during procedures.

Merck Januvia Janumet Steglujan Nitroso-STG-19 (NTTP) type 2 diabetes

Merck sues US government over Medicare's drug price negotiation liberties, calls program a 'sham'

Merck believes the Inflation Reduction Act-launched effort “coerces” manufacturers to enter into agreements to sell their top products at a fraction of their actual value.

Incorrect place-of-service codes resulted in Medicare overpayments totaling in the millions

The audit revealed that Medicare overpaid by approximately $22.5 million due to incorrect place-of-service coding completed by practitioners.

Federal bill would require more transparency from private equity-backed physician practices

H.R. 3561 also would apply to groups owned by physicians, hospitals, insurers, or venture capital firms, who could face fines of $2M for failing to comply.

‘It was killing some of these radiology departments’: State grapples with long licensing delays

Some rad techs have waited upward of four months to receive their credentials, with it taking days prior to COVID.

FDA clears GE HealthCare MRI tool that can cut scan times by up to 83%

Sonic DL is powered by deep learning technology and targeted for use in cardiac MRI, the company said Monday.

Will PET imaging be covered alongside new Alzheimer's drugs? CMS dodges topic in new coverage decision

The recent CMS coverage determination did not make any mention of beta-amyloid PET imaging that is necessary for both diagnosing Alzheimer’s and monitoring the effectiveness of related treatments.

Policy & Regulations

SCAI: Noncompete contracts unfairly bind cardiologists to hospitals unless they move

ACR blasts ‘deeply flawed’ Anthem policy targeting out-of-network radiologists

White House official promises announcement in ‘coming days’ on healthcare, as Trump preps for nationwide tour

Colorado law barring medical debt from credit reports faces federal challenge from trade lobby

New physician Medicare payments for the Agent drug-coated balloon set for 2027