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.

Senate bounces spending bill back to House with 2.5% Medicare rad pay fix
In addition, there are no restrictions on pass-through entity taxes (PTET), which “benefits independent physician practices,” one expert notes.
Medicare cost-cutting initiative targets ‘wasteful, inappropriate’ interventional radiology services
IRs criticized the CMS proposal, believing it could lead to excess morbidity and mortality in Medicare.
103K Medicare beneficiaries issued new IDs after ‘data incident’ at CMS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said “malicious actors” created fake accounts for Medicare beneficiaries through the agency’s patient portal, using stolen data from an unknown source. The incident is being investigated.
FDA announces recall of Baxter infusion pumps with mismatched software
Spectrum V8 and V6 infusion pumps may have accidentally had their software switched, which could result in underinfusion or a fluid overload. While no injuries have been reported, for safety the affected pumps need to be removed from where they are used and sold.
Medtronic’s new ECMO system receives a key approval
According to Medtronic, its VitalFlow ECMO system was designed and developed with the user experience in mind.

Cigna-Express Scripts deal gathering support in DOJ antitrust process

Cigna’s $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts is looking good after 14 of the 29 states necessary to approve the deal have cleared it.

Phlebotomist, EMT among 6 most popular healthcare jobs for millennials

Millennials make up the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, so it should come as no surprise that healthcare jobs are among the most popular roles for this cohort.

CMS adds flexibility to Medicare Part D drug plans

Starting in 2020, Medicare Part D drug plans will have more power to tailor which drugs can be used for different indications.

GOP may renew fight over ACA repeal following McCain’s death

Congressional Republicans are reportedly thinking about taking another swing at overturning the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after the death of Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, The Hill reported.

RACGP updates osteoarthritis management guideline to reduce unnecessary imaging, surgery

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has announced an update to its guideline for knee and hip osteoarthritis management, saying the policy shift should reduce unnecessary imaging, surgery and medication throughout Australia.

Could the DOJ be an obstacle to CVS-Aetna merger?

A New York Assemblyman has urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to block the $69 billion planned merger between CVS Health and Aetna.

Institutional policy change cut annual oral contrast costs by 52%

Administrating oral contrasts to patients with nontraumatic abdominal pain in the emergency department (ED) amounted to more than $85,000 annually, according to authors of a single-institution study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

GAO: Trump administration stifled ACA enrollment

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last week that claimed actions by the Trump administration negatively impacted enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace during the 2017 sign-up period.

Policy & Regulations

Senate bounces spending bill back to House with 2.5% Medicare rad pay fix

Medicare cost-cutting initiative targets ‘wasteful, inappropriate’ interventional radiology services

103K Medicare beneficiaries issued new IDs after ‘data incident’ at CMS

FDA announces recall of Baxter infusion pumps with mismatched software

Medtronic’s new ECMO system receives a key approval