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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CMS finalizes new payment model for home health, boosts reimbursements for 2019

CMS finalized the 2019 home health prospective payment system, cementing a new payment model for the post-acute care space in 2020 and increasing payments for 2019.

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FDA clears 23andMe genetic testing to market on drug metabolism

The FDA will allow genetic testing company 23andMe to market personal genome reports as a direct-to-consumer test of a person’s ability to metabolize some medications to help inform discussions with healthcare providers.

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Maine health systems to combine into $3B entity

The hospital and other healthcare provider members of MaineHealth in Portland, Maine, will combine into one nonprofit entity beginning Jan. 1.

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38% of Americans unaware ACA is still in effect

A large chunk of the American population doesn’t know when the open enrollment period is to purchase healthcare insurance, according to a recent study by insuranceQuotes. And recent political moves have contributed to confusion among Americans.

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$5.6B acquisition of LifePoint Health approved by shareholders

A $5.6 billion merger between LifePoint Health and RCCH Healthcare Partners, which is owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, has been approved by LifePoint’s shareholders.

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Insurers and payers are setting vastly different healthcare prices

Healthcare insurance companies and payers negotiate rates with providers for services and care delivered to consumers, but not all prices are negotiated the same.

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Medicare is in trouble—and that’s bad news for radiologists, patients

The American College of Radiology (ACR) worked alongside many other organizations to help get Congress to repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula in 2015. However, as Rakesh A. Shah, MD, wrote in a recent commentary in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, that victory did not fix serious problems with the U.S. economy.

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Volume remains high, but healthcare deal values drop

Healthcare deals were still happening at a quick clip during the third quarter of the year, but the value of deals declined, according to the latest analysis from PwC.