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.

5 healthcare industry giants funnel over $333M in research payments to radiologists
Merck was the No. 1 funder for radiologists, contributing nearly $108 million in payments, followed by imaging manufacturer Siemens Healthineers ($64 million) and drugmaker Novartis ($57 million).
Report: CMS sent states lists of names for impromptu Medicaid eligibility check
President Donald Trump’s administration wants states to check to see if hundreds of thousands of residents are enrolled in Medicaid illegally. CMS provided a specific list of people it suspects are undocumented.
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cuts cardiologist pay because CMS says doctors should be more efficient
The new, negative 2.5% efficiency adjustment will be applied to the vast majority of Medicare payments for physician services. It was opposed by cardiology and most other medical societies.
FDA grants De Novo marketing authorization for at-home prenatal ultrasound
Women's health experts are calling the approval a "long-awaited leap forward" for obstetrical care.
MRI recall update: New guidance on issue prompting FDA Class 1 safety warning
Concerns pertain to the systems’ venting paths, but certain functions within their operating suite, manufactured by IMRIS Imaging Inc., could trigger an adverse event within the scanner itself.

Cigna, Express Scripts close $67B merger

After a delay, Cigna has closed its $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts, the company confirmed on Dec. 20.

Value-based care made major headway in 2017

The shift to value-based care made significant headway in 2017, according to a new survey from the Health Care Transformation Task Force that found nearly half of their business was in value-based payment arrangements by the end of the year.

3 in 10 Americans delay healthcare due to high costs

Roughly 3 in 10 Americans don’t seek medical care because they can’t afford it, according to a recent Gallup poll.

CMS to scrutinize conflicts of interest among accrediting organizations

CMS wants to take a closer look at the financial relationships of accrediting organizations (AOs) that survey Medicare-certified healthcare providers.

Judge tells CVS, Aetna to keep operations separate during antitrust review

A federal judge who has been reviewing the $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna has told the two companies to keep some operations separate during the ongoing antitrust process, The New York Times reported.

$67B Cigna-Express Scripts deal approved by final regulator

Cigna received its final approval from regulators for its $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts. New Jersey approved the transaction, clearing the way for the deal to close, according to a public filing from Cigna.

Drugmakers Pfizer and Glaxo to combine business units

Drug manufacturing giants Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline will combine their consumer healthcare units in a separate joint venture that will be the world’s largest seller of over-the-counter medicines.

12 governors call for permanent repeal of medical device tax before holidays

12 U.S. governors, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have written a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for the medical device tax (MDT) to be permanently repealed before the holiday break.

Policy & Regulations

5 healthcare industry giants funnel over $333M in research payments to radiologists

Report: CMS sent states lists of names for impromptu Medicaid eligibility check

Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cuts cardiologist pay because CMS says doctors should be more efficient

FDA grants De Novo marketing authorization for at-home prenatal ultrasound

MRI recall update: New guidance on issue prompting FDA Class 1 safety warning