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. 

Rad's alleged involvement in peddling date rape drug lands him behind bars

Authorities became suspicious of the doctor after intercepting a package containing around 15 pounds of gamma-butyrolactone, a common date rape drug also known as “liquid ecstasy."

CMS updates outpatient reimbursement policy for Barostim device

CMS continues to show confidence in the benefits of baroreflex activation therapy with the Barostim device from CVRx. 

‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

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CMS makes 2025 Medicare cuts official—and doctors are not happy

CMS has published its final rule for the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and it includes significant payment cuts. Cardiology groups have been working hard to stop these changes from going into effect since they were first proposed in July.

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Kentucky AG launches criminal probe after conscious man nearly has organs harvested

Three years ago Anthony Hoover was declared brain dead—until he woke up on the operating room table, moments before his organs were removed. His story has spurred a criminal investigation by Kentucky's attorney general.

Medicare

Medicare issues final 2025 physician fee schedule with 2.83% conversion factor cut

“Despite rising practice costs, CMS continues to cut physician reimbursement, denying the reality of the burdens under which our healthcare system operates," SIR said Friday. 

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FDA announces Class I recall of ventilators after 3 patient injuries

An unexpected nickel coating on the breathing circuits of Percussionaire Phasitron 5 ventilators is being blamed for the recall. The FDA is asking providers to stop using them immediately. 

HeartLung Technologies, a Houston-based artificial intelligence (AI) company, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for new software that assesses chest CT scans for signs of coronary artery disease (CAD) and other potentially fatal heart conditions. The newly cleared offering, AutoChamber, was designed with opportunistic heart evaluations in mind.

FDA clears AI tool that flags signs of heart disease in chest CT scans

The newly cleared offering, AutoChamber, was designed with opportunistic screening in mind. It can evaluate many different kinds of CT images, including those originally gathered to screen patients for lung cancer.