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.

White House to end civil service protections for 50,000 federal workers
President Donald Trump's administration said an executive order to implement Schedule F, to make it easier to fire federal works that don't align with its agenda of "draining the swamp," is forthcoming.
Proposed HHS budget would close NINR, cut nursing programs
The American Nurses Association is warning that eliminating support for the training and research offered by the National Institute of Nursing Research could be devastating to the public, as many programs support specialties such as maternal and mental health.
FDA warns that certain coronary imaging catheters are being removed from market over safety concerns
A catheter sheath detached during use and was left in the patient’s body. It was successfully removed, but the FDA said it is now evaluating the potential risk to others going forward. There is no official recall at this time.
FDA clears new cold cathode tomosynthesis system
Cold cathode tubes make for smaller systems that are lighter in weight and require less energy to operate, also resulting in decreased costs.
Arkansas the 30th state to pass legislation bolstering coverage for breast imaging
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 123 into law on April 14 following its passage by the state legislature, weeks after Virginia passed a similar bill.

Supreme Court will take up ACA lawsuit

The Supreme Court will listen to the legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act that has been working its way through the lower courts. The court made its decision to hear the case Monday, March 2.

FTC plans to kill a hospital merger

The FTC is moving to block a proposed merger between Jefferson Health and Einstein Healthcare Network, two Philadelphia-based health systems. The two entities have a combined annual revenue of $5.9 billion.

CDC: States falling woefully short on low-dose CT cancer screening goals; ACR pushes pay fix

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 87% of those recommended for such scans never received them, according to research released Thursday.

HHS mitigates coronavirus risks, asks for $2.5B in funding

The Trump administration recently asked Congress for $2.5 billion in funding to address the outbreak of the disease as the number of cases continues to grow worldwide.

CMS may increase accreditation control

CMS Administrator Seema Verma is once again putting pressure on Medicare accrediting organizations that certify healthcare providers for reimbursement under the federal healthcare program.

UnitedHealth’s stock just had its worst day in 9 years

UnitedHealth Group saw its worst stock day in nearly 9 years on Feb. 24, with shares dropping 7.8%, according to MarketWatch.

Legal expert worries ‘shadowy,’ radiology-backing private equity firms will derail surprise billing fix

One professor of law shared her pessimism about the process in a new piece, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Medicare for all studies agree universal healthcare will lower costs

An analysis of 22 single-payer healthcare plans have nearly all come to the same conclusion: Universal healthcare will lower costs either in the first year or within the first several years.

Policy & Regulations

White House to end civil service protections for 50,000 federal workers

Proposed HHS budget would close NINR, cut nursing programs

FDA warns that certain coronary imaging catheters are being removed from market over safety concerns

FDA clears new cold cathode tomosynthesis system

Arkansas the 30th state to pass legislation bolstering coverage for breast imaging