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.

Massive spending bill passes final vote in Congress with Medicaid cuts intact
The 940-page document passed the House of Representatives in a 218 to 214 vote, and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. It contains a 20% cut to federal Medicaid funding, something Trump said he opposes.
Radiation in the cath lab: Tracking state-level regulations for cardiologists
Researchers hope these policies can be standardized in the future to help avoid confusion and improve clinician safety.
Doc groups say payer promises not enough to address care denials
MGMA and others who are part of the “Regulatory Relief Coalition” are urging Congress to continue pushing forward with the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.
Russian researcher strategizes on collaboration with China over healthcare AI
Have you ever wondered what China and Russia would talk about if they were to discuss AI in healthcare? It turns out they do just that—and a newly published academic paper straight out of the Russian Federation offers a glimpse into the dialogue.
10-second brain MRI scans possible with newly FDA-cleared deep learning reconstruction software
The artificial intelligence-enabled software offers accelerated acquisition times, improved image resolution and one-click workflows for technologists.

Healthcare remains a leader in job growth

Healthcare was once again a leader among the number of jobs added to the economy in July, according to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Cities file suit claiming Trump administration is sabotaging ACA

Chicago, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, filed a joint lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of actively undermining the Affordable Care Act.

CMS finalizes 2019 hospital payments, scraps controversial inpatient reimbursement rule

CMS finalized a rule for inpatient and long-term care hospital payments, tossing out a controversial reimbursement plan with it.

California official throws wrench in planned CVS-Aetna merger

The planned merger of CVS Health and Aetna hit a snag this week after California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones urged the U.S. Department of Justice to block the $69 billion deal.

Insurers, consumer groups are critical of HHS move on short-term insurance plans

Healthcare advocacy groups and other stakeholders are speaking out against the Trump administration’s decision to allow short-term healthcare insurance plans to extend up to three years.

Despite regulatory uncertainty, healthcare M&A activity remains constant

More than 200 health services deals were reported in the second quarter of 2018, continuing the ongoing streak of mergers and acquisitions in the sector, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

CMS finalizes $340M payment bump for hospices in 2019

Hospices will see a 1.8 percent, or $340 million, payment increase in 2019 after CMS finalized its annual payment update.

Family awarded $3.5M after ER doctor misdiagnoses fatal stroke

The family of Melanie Smith, a mother of two who died in 2015 at the age of 40, was awarded $3.5 million by a jury this week after an emergency room (ER) physician reportedly failed to diagnose Smith’s stroke in time, leading to her death, the Staunton News Leader has reported.

Policy & Regulations

Massive spending bill passes final vote in Congress with Medicaid cuts intact

Radiation in the cath lab: Tracking state-level regulations for cardiologists

Doc groups say payer promises not enough to address care denials

Russian researcher strategizes on collaboration with China over healthcare AI

10-second brain MRI scans possible with newly FDA-cleared deep learning reconstruction software