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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ACR announces 2 updates to LI-RADS, integration into AASLD guidance

The American College of Radiology (ACR) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) Steering Committee has developed a new version of CT/MRI LI-RADS that is now in line with similar guidelines published by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

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Kansas to become 8th state to cover 3D mammograms in 2019

Last week, the Kansas Insurance Department announced the state will require all health insurers to cover 3D mammograms by 2019, according to an Aug. 9 article by the Kansas City Star.

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Bloomberg: CVS-Aetna deal close to clearing antitrust process

CVS Health’s takeover of health insurance giant is likely close to clearing the antitrust process with the Department of Justice, Bloomberg reported last week.

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Healthcare spending up 5.2% in June 2018 from previous year

National health spending rose 5.2 percent to $3.66 trillion in June 2018 from the previous year, according to a new insights report from Alarum.

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ACR, VHA partnership improving quality of radiology care for US veterans

A partnership between the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Veterans Healthcare Administration has bolstered the quality of care U.S. vets see at medical facilities across the country, according to a report published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology this month—and that’s only improving with the implementation of a mandatory three-year accreditation cycle.

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Hospitals, insurers refine cost estimator tools to avoid sticker shock

George Hahn of Philadelphia had two echocardiograms conducted at the same hospital a year apart, using the same insurance—the only difference was one cost $3,000 more than the other. Hahn’s plight is similar to many other Americans—and hospitals are acting, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Study: Immigrants are net contributors to Medicare, have lower expenditures than US-born population

With immigration certainly a central issue in the 2018 mid-term elections, a new study could fuel debates about the dollars and cents of policy proposals. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Tufts University found that immigrants’ healthcare costs were significantly lower than those of individuals born in the United States.

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Citing competition, rebate concerns, AMA urges block of CVS-Aetna deal

The American Medical Association (AMA) has urged the U.S. Department of Justice to block the planned $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna.