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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SNMMI supports radiopharmaceutical pass-through legislation

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is urging the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 6948, which would keep the pass-through status for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under Medicare reimbursement.

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HHS Sec. Azar slams Medicare for All

Despite growing support for a Medicare for All system among Democrats, HHS Secretary Alex Azar blasted such an idea during a speech in Tennessee this week, The Hill reported.

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GAO report: HHS didn’t violate laws by lobbying against ACA

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not violate certain legal provisions when it reduced public outreach to alert people to healthcare enrollment periods and put out social media posts that blasted Obamacare, according to the Government Accountability Office.

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Medicaid expansion pays off the most for rural states

Small towns and rural areas saw the biggest benefits of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, according to a recent report.

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Readmission penalties reduced for safety-net hospitals

Hundreds of hospitals will see penalties on patient readmissions ease up after Congress instructed Medicare to change its policy, NPR reported.

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Indian radiologists battle with Ayurvedic doctors over use of sonography

If the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) amends the Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Technique (PCPNDT) Act of 1994, Ayurvedic doctors could have the ability to utilize sonography on their patients, provoking anger from radiologists in India.

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Verma defends Medicaid work requirements after thousands lose coverage

CMS Administrator Seema Verma went to bat for Medicaid work requirement programs, which have been implemented or approved in a handful of states, even as thousands of beneficiaries are on course to lose healthcare coverage as a result of these rules.

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WellCare to buy Aetna’s Part D biz in CVS deal divestiture

CVS Health’s $69 billion acquisition of health insurance giant Aetna is not going to complete without divestments. WellCare Health Plans, a Tampa-based managed care company, has agreed to acquire Aetna’s entire Medicare Part D prescription drug plan business, which encompassed 2.2 million members as of June 30.