Policy and Regulation News and Resources for Healthcare

CMS Reinstates Original IDR Fee, HHS Launches Heat-Related Illness Tracker

August 15, 2023 - In healthcare policy news this week, CMS was sued by the Texas Medical Association after hiking independent dispute resolution fees by 600 percent in December. Meanwhile, HHS is launching a heat-related illness tracker measuring rising heat’s effect on Americans’ health. CISA Releases FY2024-2026 Cybersecurity Strategic Plan The...

CMS Pauses Medicaid Redeterminations, $44M Telehealth Fraud Scheme

August 01, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, CMS is pausing several state coverage redeterminations in light of procedural challenges that have resulted in millions losing their health insurance. Meanwhile, a...

OIG Finds $784M in Improper Payments, Officials Push HHS to Expand HIPAA

July 25, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, OIG agents report that HRSA’s uninsured program was plagued with claims that never should have been reimbursed. Meanwhile, representatives are pleading with...

CMS to Cut Medicare Payment Rates, FDA Approves OTC Birth Control

July 18, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, the Opill, a progestin-only daily birth control pill, will be available without a prescription in early 2024. Meanwhile, CMS plans to cut payment rates for some...

CMS Doles out $9B After Supreme Court Ruling, FDA Approves Leqembi

July 11, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, the American Hospital Association (AHA) rejoiced with news that CMS would pay $9 billion to rectify previous 340B payment cuts. Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s...

NY Schools to Offer Telemental Health, USPSTF Updates Anxiety Screenings

June 27, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, school leaders from the Rochester City School District are instituting a telemental healthcare program for students. Meanwhile, the nation’s preeminent...

AHA and FTC Tussle Over Antitrust, Senators Reintroduce Virtual Care Act

June 20, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, an AHA friend-of-the-court brief derided the Federal Trade Commission as biased. Meanwhile, a large group of United States senators is working to push the CONNECT...

CMS Pitches New Value-Based Care Model, Medicare Spending Rises Fast

June 13, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In policy news this week, CMS will test a new value-based care model in eight states. The model offers participants additional revenue to improve their primary care services. Meanwhile, research from...

Officials Probe Google for Data Practices, CMS Withdraws Vaccine Mandate

June 06, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In policy news this week, elected officials are pushing Google to get stricter with its health data-sharing policy. Meanwhile, CMS rescinded its health worker vaccine mandate. Senators Ask Google to...

VA May Cut Staff to Pay for EHR, FTC Sues to Block Amgen Horizon Mega Deal

May 30, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In policy news this week, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials were denounced by a sitting congresswoman for implying that facilities would have to cut staff in order to pay for budget...

VA Renegotiates EHR Contract, New Telehealth Bill for Medicare Beneficiaries

May 23, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) successfully renegotiated its EHR contract with Oracle Cerner. Meanwhile, new legislation may extend telemental health...

FDA Committee Favors OTC Opill, WHO Ends Mpox Emergency

May 16, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, the FDA seems primed to approve over-the-counter sales of birth control pills. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) ended the mpox public health emergency...

Washington Passes Data Privacy Law, DEA Delays Telehealth Prescribing Limits

May 09, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

Policy news this week includes the DEA’s recent flip-flop on telehealth prescribing rules and a groundbreaking Washington state health data privacy law. Washington Governor Signs Health...

VA Deals with Another EHR Outage, CMS to Enforce Price Transparency Rules

May 02, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

This week in policy news, politicians are preparing legislation to reign in the VA EHR modernization program while CMS gears up to fine hospitals that still haven’t complied with transparency...

SCOTUS Upholds FDA Mifepristone Approval, Congress Inspects COVID-19 Relief

April 25, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

Policy news this week looks at the SCOTUS decision to protect abortion pills in the interim and the decision of the congressional oversight committee to investigate hospitals that may have misused...

CMS Underreported Nursing Home Quality Issues, New $5B Vaccine Project

April 18, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, an inspector general report found massive underreporting of quality issues at nursing homes by CMS. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is launching a $5 billion...

HHS Releases Cancer Moonshot Plan, VA EHRM Pause Extended

April 11, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In the news this week, the ambitious Biden Administration Cancer Moonshot was detailed in a new plan released by HHS. Meanwhile, the beleaguered VA EHR project has been put on the back burner...

WHO Won’t Advise COVID-19 Boosters for Healthy Groups, Ohio Sues PBMs

April 04, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

Leading healthcare policy news this week, the WHO vaccine advisory group announced that it wouldn’t recommend COVID-19 boosters for low and medium-risk patients. Meanwhile, the Ohio Attorney...

CDC Warns of Deadly Fungus, CMS to Reimburse for Virtual Reality

March 28, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news, a warning was issued by the CDC last week about a deadly fungal infection spreading in US healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, CMS is creating a reimbursement pathway for...

America’s Amphetamine Problem, Beyond the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

March 22, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

ADHD and Its Treatments Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent mental health condition described as a generalizable inability to pay attention or control impulsive behavior and a tendency to be...

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