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. 

Thumbnail

FDA reminds PET imaging providers about proper generator use

Citing “recent incidents” that exposed patients to unnecessary radiation, the FDA has issued a reminder to imaging providers about the proper operation of rubidium-82 (Rb-82) generators used during PET imaging examinations.

Thumbnail

10 best and worst states for nurses

Not all states are equal when it comes to the job quality and opportunity of being a nurse the U.S. While the profession is in high demand, with expectations that the industry will double the rate of the average occupation by 2026, there are several challenges to being a nurse depending on location.

Thumbnail

Variations in healthcare prices don’t reflect quality

Within the same metro area, the price of some common health services can vary up to 39-fold, while services can differ 25-fold across areas, according to the latest issue brief from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI).

Thumbnail

HHS lowers monetary penalties for HIPAA violations

HHS has changed its regulations for civil monetary penalties (CMP) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), effectively lowering penalties across four categories of violations.

Thumbnail

Hospital employment, pay on the rise across the board

Overall U.S. hospital employment hit 5,223,000 in March, rising 2.11% over the 5,115,000 recorded in March of 2018, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Thumbnail

New FDA draft guidance examines devices with quantitative imaging functions

The FDA has released a new draft guidance focused on the completion of premarket submissions for medical devices with quantitative imaging functions.

Thumbnail

Aetna settles with patient who sued for coverage denial

A little over a year ago, California’s insurance commissioner began investigating Aetna for possibly denying care coverage without reviewing the records of a patient who’d filed a lawsuit. Now the company has agreed to an out-of-court settlement.

Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans when it comes to healthcare

Healthcare is a major voter issue, but many Americans tend to trust Democrats more than Republicans in this area heading into the 2020 election, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.