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.

Over 1,000 hospitals earn $700M opioid crisis judgement
Drug distributors AmerisourceBergen (Cencora), Cardinal Health, McKesson, Johnson & Johnson, Teva and Allergan do not admit to wrongdoing. However, they have agreed to a settlement which will compensate providers for opioid abuse treatments.
Radiology pushes for doc fix as government funding deadline looms
Momentum is building for the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act, the AMA notes, with 99 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House.
Imaging industry urges Congress to oppose cuts to critical research overhead payments
Failing to fund these functions, advocates contend, will result in challenges that could potentially halt progress in imaging industry innovation.
University of Missouri Health Care's 7T scanner joins exclusive ACR accreditation club
There are fewer than 40 of these 7T MRI scanners in North America, and MU Health Care’s is one of less than 10 to achieve ACR accreditation.
VA planning 83,000 layoffs as part of restructuring
The reports are based on a leaked internal memo in which the agency said it’s working closely with Elon Musk’s DOGE to cut jobs.

AI with location data may fine-tune flu forecasting

The researchers say their AI technique produces an 11% boost in accuracy over that supplied by other contemporary flu forecasting systems.

Charges dropped after radiologist senator briefly faces arrest warrant over campaign yard signs

Authorities initially cited Sen. Mike Maroney for violating a little-known law requiring individuals to specify their academic degree on such materials.

CMS finalizes rule requiring insurers to disclose negotiated rates for radiology, other ‘shoppable’ services

The initial list covers 500 such offerings running from CT scans of the head and brain, down to foot and ankle x-rays.

Physicians historically turn out to vote—or sit it out—in curious patterns

Physicians who lived in three of the most populous states and were eligible to vote from 2006 to 2018 did so at a rate 14 percentage points lower than the population as a whole.

Judges baffled over hospitals’ hesitance to share upfront imaging prices: ‘Why is that not doable?’

The American Hospital Association is arguing that it is unlawful for the feds to compel its members to publish negotiated rates reached with insurers.

Surveyed physicians up for hybrid healthcare, down on Medicare for All

U.S. physicians favor the idea of a two-tiered healthcare system, one in which a single-payer option peacefully coexists with private coverage. Their least favorite model? Single-payer Medicare for All.

Nearly all nursing homes are hurting, but should the for-profits get more free money?

Even after receiving $7.5 billion in federal COVID relief and billions more from the Paycheck Protection Program, nursing homes are still hurting financially. Should the field’s for-profit players have their hands out with the rest?

Advocates applaud legislation that would improve coverage for peripheral artery disease screening

If signed into law, the bill would improve coverage for screening for both Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Policy & Regulations

Over 1,000 hospitals earn $700M opioid crisis judgement

Radiology pushes for doc fix as government funding deadline looms

Imaging industry urges Congress to oppose cuts to critical research overhead payments

University of Missouri Health Care's 7T scanner joins exclusive ACR accreditation club

VA planning 83,000 layoffs as part of restructuring