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. 

Trump administration will prohibit sale of some e-cigarette flavors

The Trump administration has moved forward with a partial ban on some e-cigarette flavors in an attempt to limit the widespread usage of the products with young people. However, the FDA described the policy priorities not as a ban, as the agency has accepted and begun reviewing applications for flavored e-cigarette products.

January 2, 2020
Doctor holds piggy bank.

Strep throat treatment came with $25K medical bill

One New York City woman received the shock of a lifetime when her surprise medical bill to treat a cold and sore throat toped $25,000.

January 2, 2020

Drug prices rise once again in 2020

Drug prices are on the move upward once again in 2020, according to new data from 3 Axis Advisors.

January 2, 2020

Quality of care harmed after hospital acquisitions

Hospital acquisitions may have a negative impact on the quality of patient care, according to new findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study results may help answer the question of how mergers and acquisitions impact patients and quality of care.

January 2, 2020

Spending bill guts ACA taxes, medical device tax

President Trump signed the latest $1.4 trillion spending bills into law to fund the government and simultaneously gutted three taxes related to the Affordable Care Act: the health insurance tax, Cadillac tax and medical device tax.

December 23, 2019
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World’s most expensive drug could be free for some in lottery

Novartis may give away a new drug with a price tag above $2 million for free to some patients using a lottery-style program. The drug, Zolgensma, is a cure for a deadly inherited disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and the world’s most expensive drug.

December 23, 2019

Humana execs sell $38M in shares

Humana’s top executives offloaded a significant sum of shares in late December, shedding about 107,077 Humana shares worth $37.7 million, Louisville Business First reported.

December 20, 2019

Cigna sells non-health business for $6.3B

Cigna, one of the nation’s largest health insurance providers, has agreed to sell its group disability and life insurance business to New York Life for a purchase price of $6.3 billion.

December 19, 2019

Around the web

In addition, cardiologists average an additional $75,000 per year in incentive-based bonuses. That number is only higher for two other specialties. 

CMS has issued its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system, suggesting a payment increase of 2.6%. According to the American Hospital Association, this update would not be enough at a time when hospitals are already struggling to stay open. 

The rumors, it seems, were true. Once the deal is finalized, Shockwave Medical will operate as a business unit within Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

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