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. 

Thumbnail

Insurers pocketed more than $9B in taxpayer funds over 10 years

From 2006 to 2015, insurance providers kept $9.1 billion more in taxpayer funds than they would have if their estimated cost forecasts for drug spending through Medicare had been more accurate. This eye-popping statistic comes courtesy of an in-depth report published Jan. 4 by the Wall-Street Journal.

Thumbnail

Participating in a CMS pay-for-performance program? Consider reporting as a group

Radiology practices who hope to achieve success in CMS pay-for-performance programs should consider group participation rather than each radiologist participating as an individual, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Thumbnail

ACR Appropriateness Criteria updated with 7 new topics

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has released seven new and 19 revised topics for its ACR Appropriateness Criteria.

Thumbnail

12 governors call for permanent repeal of medical device tax before holidays

12 U.S. governors, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have written a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for the medical device tax (MDT) to be permanently repealed before the holiday break.

Texas 21 coalition seeks to increase smoking age to prevent cancer

The Texas 21 coalition—a partnership among several healthcare organizations across Texas—is advocating to increase the smoking age from 18 to 21 across the state, according to a new report published in the Longview News-Journal. Raising the age, the coalition believes, will reduce the financial burdens of treating lung cancer and other diseases.

Thumbnail

4 key takeaways from a new report on sports-related concussions

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its guidance on caring for children and adolescents with sports-related concussions (SRCs), publishing the latest version in the December issue of Pediatrics.

Thumbnail

Breast cancer screening guideline from Canadian group emphasizes shared decision-making

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has issued updated breast cancer screening recommendations for women ages 40 to 74 who are not at an elevated risk, publishing them in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The new guideline emphasizes the importance of women making screening decisions with their healthcare providers.

Thumbnail

Patient group pushes U.S. Senate to permanently repeal medical device tax

Members of Right Scan Right Time, a patient and survivor group managed by the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), flew to Capitol Hill last week to push for the permanent repeal of the medical device tax.

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

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.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.