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.

HHS ‘dramatic restructuring’ begins as employees turned away by security
Mass firings on Tuesday led to thousands of workers at the CDC, FDA and NIH losing their jobs, including those working on public health initiatives and vaccine approvals.
Radiology-supported law change would tighten screws on prior authorization requests
The Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act of 2025 is endorsed by 30 trade groups including the Society of Interventional Radiology and MGMA.
Healthcare AI newswatch: Apple’s AI Doctor, AI’s expectant medical specialties, AI-watching teens, more
Apple’s AI Doctor had better be one good virtual physician.
California ballot measure named after Luigi Mangione lands on AG’s desk
The proposed “Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act,” named after the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny necessary care to patients. The lawyer who proposed the measure said the controversial name was chosen to garner public attention.
Society of Interventional Radiology seeks to bolster research funding for the specialty
During their annual meeting being held this week in Nashville, the society announced the launch of the SIR Foundation Endowment.

Primera Blue Cross hit with $6.85M penalty, corrective action plan for HIPAA violations

The resolution represents the second largest payment to resolve a HIPAA investigation in OCR history. It also includes a robust corrective action plan that calls for, among other things, two years of monitoring.

FDA yanks imaging facility’s mammography accreditation following quality issues

The agency said it pulled Allison Breast Center’s certificate after it failed to comply with regulations in the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992.

US residents may soon be buying drugs from Canada—legally

The Trump Administration’s main aim is widening consumer access to lower prices.

Washington implores parents, providers to catch kids up on regular doctor visits

So many parents have held children back from visiting clinicians’ offices during the COVID crisis that CMS is issuing an urgent call to action: Please hold them back no more.

National Cancer Institute reportedly looking to kill high-profile $100M mammography trial

NCI has formed a work group to review funding for TMIST, which is comparing digital breast tomosynthesis with older 2D mammo technology.

CMS’ mandatory Radiation Oncology Model ‘goes too far,’ say provider groups pushing for delay

Chief Seema Verma said the new bundled payment effort will reward results, rather than the number of services delivered.

Nursing homes using hospitals as middlemen to bounce low-reimbursement, high-maintenance residents

A common tactic is sending off Medicaid-covered seniors with dementia following emergency “psychotic” episodes. When psychiatric wards and hospitals quickly discharge the patients, the nursing homes refuse to take them back in.

Rand study suggests hospitals are exorbitantly overpaid by private insurers; AHA reacts

In real dollars, these payers’ combined savings would have nearly reached $20 billion just in 2018, the analysis shows.

Policy & Regulations

HHS ‘dramatic restructuring’ begins as employees turned away by security

Radiology-supported law change would tighten screws on prior authorization requests

Healthcare AI newswatch: Apple’s AI Doctor, AI’s expectant medical specialties, AI-watching teens, more

California ballot measure named after Luigi Mangione lands on AG’s desk

Society of Interventional Radiology seeks to bolster research funding for the specialty