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. 

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5 pharma companies to lose $500M each under Trump’s drug pricing proposal

Five major pharmaceutical companies could each lose $500 million or more in revenue per year if a proposal from the Trump administration to reimburse Medicare Part B drugs based on an international pricing index (IPI) is finalized.

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NYT: Hospitals gauge their own patients for donations

Hospitals are now conducting wealth screenings with software that culls public data to see which patients are most likely to donate to the healthcare organization, The New York Times reported. The practice is increasingly common across hospitals, particularly large systems.

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PwC: Healthcare deals will chug along in 2019

Deal volumes broke records in 2018 across the health services sector, and deal activity is likely to remain high in 2019 thanks to a number of positive market factors, according to PwC’s latest health services deals insights.

Following media attention, $20K hospital bill lowered to $200

Media spotlighting of extraordinarily high hospital bills can pay off for patients on the hook for thousands of dollars after a hospital visit. Such is the case for one San Francisco resident who was stuck with a bill for more than $20,000—after her insurance paid its part—following a bicycle accident.

Is it time to end patient shielding in radiology?

Though it has been in place for decades, the practice of patient shielding in radiology should be abandoned, according to a new analysis published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Trump meets with patients, doctors to discuss surprise medical bills

In an effort to curb “unexpected and outrageous bills,” President Trump invited patients and others to the White House to discuss their experiences with such pricing, Kaiser Health News reported. The discussion is part of Trump’s overall goal to impact drug prices and transparency in healthcare.

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How one institution’s free cancer screenings improved care, boosted profits

A free lung cancer screening program using National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines detected more cancers and ultimately generated profit for the institution conducting the screenings, according to a single-center study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

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Walgreens settles fraud cases for $269M

Walgreens Boots Alliance has settled two fraud cases with the Department of Justice, shelling out $269.2 million. In both cases, which arose from whistleblowers, Walgreens admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged by the government in its complaint under the False Claims Act.