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.

FDA highlights risks of evaluating blood pressure with unauthorized medical devices
The agency emphasized that many over-the-counter technologies marketed for this purpose have not been properly evaluated.
Healthcare AI today: Another angle on AI regulation, move fast but don’t break things, WISeR in the real world, more
Getting healthcare AI to fulfill its destiny—can we call it that now?—will require ‘scenario-based’ consideration of every use case.
Repeat imaging rates higher when scans are interpreted by nurse practitioners, physician assistants
The finding is based on an analysis of nearly 1.4 million office-based imaging claims, conducted by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute.
Members of Congress condemn Medicare model targeting ‘wasteful’ interventional radiology services
“It is not an exaggeration to say that the requirement of prior authorization for traditional Medicare services will kill seniors,” says Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.
Referrers frequently failing to recommend patients for key interventional radiology procedure
An analysis of nearly 272,000 uterine fibroid healthcare encounters shows that only about 4% of women underwent uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive IR treatment option.

3 industry orgs suing HHS, FDA over Canadian drug imports

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is combining forces with two other groups to challenge the FDA final rule allowing broad, state-by-state importation of drugs from Canada.

CMS overhauls physician self-referral regs, while doc groups say Stark Law still ‘beyond comprehension’

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued what it called a "historic" update in a bid to "unleash innovation" in medicine.

Stanford addresses controversial radiologist Scott Atlas’ ‘rise up’ comments, while others demand his firing

The Hoover Institution fellow and White House COVID-19 advisor drew fire earlier this week for urging Michigan residents to stand up against further lockdowns.

ACR experts advising President’s Cancer Panel on boosting breast imaging numbers post-COVID-19

Reduced access to mammography and other services may "exacerbate already significant disparities," Chief Research Officer Etta Pisano, MD, said.

‘Lockdowns kill people’: Radiologist and White House COVID advisor Scott Atlas blasts colleagues

The neuroradiologist and fellow of Stanford’s Hoover Institution labeled fellow coronavirus counselor Anthony Fauci a "political animal" in a recent interview.

4 forces favoring, 5 working against Biden’s wish to lower Medicare eligibility age

President-elect Joe Biden wants to drop Medicare’s eligibility age to 60. If he succeeds, the move might bring in well more than 20 million new enrollees. What are the odds he’ll plant that piece of a potentially sweeping healthcare agenda?

3 areas newly ripe for employer-driven change in healthcare policy

A healthcare research firm specializing in purchasing has considered the post-election landscape from the vantage point of large employers offering health benefits to their workers.

ACR wants transparency as feds work to speed up Medicare coverage for ‘breakthrough’ devices

CMS is proposing to close the so-called “valley of death” between FDA approval of imaging products and Medicare payment authorization.

Policy & Regulations

FDA highlights risks of evaluating blood pressure with unauthorized medical devices

Healthcare AI today: Another angle on AI regulation, move fast but don’t break things, WISeR in the real world, more

Repeat imaging rates higher when scans are interpreted by nurse practitioners, physician assistants

Members of Congress condemn Medicare model targeting ‘wasteful’ interventional radiology services

Referrers frequently failing to recommend patients for key interventional radiology procedure