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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Radiologists say hospital physician-practice acquisitions driving up healthcare costs

SIR, AdvaMed, Philips, Abbott and others in the Office-Based Facility Association contend more must be done to reverse these trends and protect private practices.

Missouri state house capitol Jefferson City

Missouri becomes latest plaintiff in lawsuits against PBMs, drug companies over skyrocketing insulin prices

The Missouri complaint mirrors those brought by the Federal Trade Commission, the state of Texas and Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, among others, in that it’s focused on alleged collusion between pharmacy benefit managers and drug companies to control the price of insulin. 

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FDA issues warning over use of Boston Scientific stents after 167 injuries, 3 deaths

Boston Scientific sent all known customers a letter on December 19, 2025 alerting them to an issue with certain AXIOS Stent and Electrocautery Enhanced Delivery Systems. During deployment, the stents may not expand. This can cause severe, potentially life-threatening injury to patients. All recalled stents must be removed from clinical settings immediately. 

Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 integrated continuous glucose monitoring (iCGM) system

FDA confirms recalls for Abbott CGM sensors—new lawsuit alleges company concealed information

The FDA finalized four Class I recalls related to safety concerns first reported by Abbott in November. Meanwhile, a Florida man who uses these sensors to manage his diabetes has already filed a lawsuit over the issue.

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Medicare payment advisors urge Congress to increase radiologist reimbursement

MedPAC, an independent panel of experts that advises lawmakers on payment policy, is endorsing an additional 0.5% update to doc pay, the AMA reports.  

Trump Great Healthcare Plan

In brief: Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ | Nat’l healthcare spending | Working families and healthcare affordability

President Trump’s outline is largely an exercise in thinking out loud since it can’t propel anything consequential without legislative action in Congress. Still, the plan—and the reactions it’s eliciting—warrant a look. 

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UnitedHealthcare launches rural Medicare Advantage pilot to cut reimbursement delays 50%

The insurer is planning to reduce reimbursement timelines for hospitals in Oklahoma, Idaho, Minnesota and Missouri from 30 days to 15. The details are unclear, but the company said the framework could extend nationwide.

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Kaiser Permanente hit with record-setting $556M Medicare Advantage fraud settlement

The California-based health system faced multiple accusations of upcoding diagnoses to receive additional risk-adjusted payments from the Medicare Advantage program. Its payer plan and providers were implicated in what the DOJ described as systemic fraud. Kaiser Permanente denies any wrongdoing.