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.

Massive deals among top factors driving healthcare M&A activity

Strong earnings, megadeals and promising demographics are helping drive healthcare M&A activity.

Humana completes acquisitions of Kindred, Curo

Health insurance giant Humana—in a deal with private equity groups—closed its acquisitions of home health company Kindred Healthcare and hospice provider Curo Health Services.

Americans have mixed feelings about value of medical care

Americans generally agree science has improved the quality of healthcare, but the vast majority consider it unaffordable, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

CMS cuts funding for marketplace navigators for 2nd consecutive year

CMS announced it will award $10 million to the Navigator Program starting in the fall of 2018—representing a sharp decrease from $63 million in 2016.

Pfizer backs down on drug price increases, announces split into three businesses

Following attacks by President Trump on Twitter, drugmaker Pfizer backed down on its previously announced plan to raise drug prices on a number of prescriptions. Pfizer also announced Wednesday it will reorganize into three businesses, effective in 2019.

Imagers, patients agree on best practice for radiation risk disclosure—but is it clinically practical?

Technologists and patients agree fundamentally on risk communication strategies when it comes to radiation exposure in medical imaging. Actually implementing those beliefs, though, could be a clinical challenge, new research out of Australia suggests.

Amazon’s OTC business offers pills at steep discount

Retail giant Amazon is selling over-the-counter (OTC) medicines at lower prices than its brick-and-mortar competitors.

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee could face questions on healthcare record

Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and a D.C. Appeals Court judge, will likely face questions on his healthcare record during confirmation hearings.

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