Policy & Regulation News and Resources for Healthcare

TX Physicians Win No Surprises Act Court Case, PHE to End

February 14, 2023 - In the news this week, HHS officials are bringing an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency, which will have wide-ranging implications for politicians and patients across the United States. Meanwhile, a Texas physician’s group won a recent court case that may take parts of the No Surprises Act back to the drawing board. North Korean...

Democrats Planning VA EHR Reorganization, GoodRx Fined $1.5M by FTC

February 07, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In healthcare policy news this week, a new report discovered that Democrats are preparing their answer to VA EHR modernization issues in response to a Republican proposal released recently. Meanwhile,...

ACA Breaks Enrollment Record, GAO Critiques HHS Control of Pathogen Studies

January 31, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In the news this week, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) recorded more enrollments than in any prior year, including 3.6 million enrollees who had not used the marketplace before. Meanwhile, a study by the...

Biden Signs FDA Modernization Act, DOJ Investigates Abbott Facility

January 24, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

This week’s policy roundup reviews the FDA Modernization Act signed at the end of last year, which allows for innovative pathways for pharmaceutical companies to test their drugs. And a new probe...

HHS Posts Timeline for Drug Negotiations, FDA Approves Alzheimer’s Drug

January 17, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

In this week’s policy roundup, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its detailed timeline for drug pricing negotiations that will begin next year. Meanwhile, the FDA granted...

FDA Expands Abortion Pill Access, IDR Process Faces Over 90,000 Disputes

January 10, 2023 by Hayden Schmidt

Last week retail pharmacies were granted permission by the FDA to distribute critical abortion medication to patients with a prescription. Meanwhile, the federal government shared that it was...

DOJ Busts $1.2B Telemedicine Fraud Ring, CDC Recommends Novavax

July 26, 2022 by Hayden Schmidt

DOJ officials are prosecuting 36 individuals linked to a telemedicine fraud ring that generated over a billion dollars in faulty Medicare claims. The defendants working throughout the United States now...

VA EHR Slammed in OIG Report, Molina Pays $4.6M Data Breach Settlement

June 28, 2022 by Sara Heath

A recent Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report states that Cerner’s VA EHR project has generated patient safety issues and led to harm in more than one hundred instances. This is not the...

CMS Funds Telehealth for Medical Centers, OIG Audits Medicare Advantage

September 29, 2021 by Hayden Schmidt

An influx of funding from the American Rescue Plan is earmarked by HRSA for medical centers in underserved communities. Additionally, the ONC is receiving funding from the plan for IT workforce...

CMS, HHS Further Provider Relief Funds, Surprise Billing, Insurance Access

September 15, 2021 by Emily Sokol, MPH

After a relatively quiet summer, HHS and CMS dove back into rulemaking, guideline issuing, and funding awards. Following vaccine mandates for all federal employees and healthcare settings, CMS issued...

Administration Boosts Funding to Increase Access to Care, Cybersecurity

September 08, 2021 by Emily Sokol, MPH

As the holiday weekend comes to a close, the Biden Administration did not slow its commitment to increasing access to care for patients. Through American Rescue Plan funding, CMS allocates funding to...

Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Full FDA Approval As CMS Ups Its Reimbursement

August 25, 2021 by Emily Sokol, MPH

COVID-19 remains in the spotlight of this week’s policy recap as Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine is granted full FDA approval. And CMS boosts reimbursement rates for COVID-19 vaccines...

CMS Increases Rates Across the Board for FY2022; Part D Premiums Climb

August 04, 2021 by Emily Sokol, MPH

CMS final rules will increase rates for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and several other care settings while CMS also reports Part D premiums are expected to rise. Meanwhile, newly introduced...

CMS Proposes Better Home Health, Access; Telehealth Bills Target Rural Health, Diabetes

June 30, 2021 by Emily Sokol, MPH

CMS issued two proposed bills that would expand home healthcare and access to health insurance exchanges. Meanwhile, Congress continues to push for telehealth bills that would increase rural access to...

Intellectual Property Waived for COVID Vaccines; Private Practice Shrinking Rapidly

May 06, 2021 by Jacqueline LaPointe

Hoping those April showers have brought some May flowers. Here are the top stories healthcare executives need to know about this week. Biden backs waiver of COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property The...

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