Policy & Regulation

The US paused use of J&J's vaccine. What happens next?

A call by regulators to stop J&J vaccinations won't dramatically disrupt supply in the U.S. But changes in labeling are possible, as is a renewed debate over vaccine hesitancy.

By Ned Pagliarulo , Ben Fidler , Jonathan Gardner • April 14, 2021

Medicare sequester cut pause extended through 2021

The 2% cuts were first put on hold more than a year ago through federal coronavirus relief legislation. To pay for the extension, the new bill states the cuts will increase in 2030.

By Hailey Mensik • April 14, 2021

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Labor

While labor strife among healthcare workers is hardly new, the COVID-19 pandemic brought new issues to the table, including re-use of personal protective equipment and other safety measures.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Lawmakers urge HHS to conduct 'vigorous oversight' of hospital price posts after reports of noncompliance

Hospitals are now required to publicly post the prices they negotiate with insurers online, but noncompliance is common. A bipartisan group from the House voiced their discontent in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

By Samantha Liss • April 14, 2021

Patients hit with surprise medical bills paid ER docs 10 times more than others

The findings published in Health Affairs suggest why some ER groups resist coming in-network with insurers: They stand to collect more in revenue if they stay outside a network, posing a financial risk to patients.

By Samantha Liss • April 13, 2021

US calls for pause in J&J coronavirus vaccine rollout after rare blood clotting cases

The FDA and CDC recommended halting vaccinations while they investigate six cases of unusual blood clots in women given the company's shot.

By Ben Fidler , Ned Pagliarulo • UPDATED: April 13, 2021 at 10:17 a.m.

Researchers lay out hypothesis for rare side effect linked to AstraZeneca vaccine

EU regulators have reiterated the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks, but the safety concerns are another hurdle to the vaccine's rollout in Europe. 

By Ned Pagliarulo , Ben Fidler • April 09, 2021

Medtech industry, surgeons push Medicare to pull back prior authorization rules

The medtech lobby joined 39 stakeholders in warning CMS that including cervical fusion with disc removal and implanted spinal neurostimulators as new service categories will delay patient access to medically necessary procedures.

By Greg Slabodkin • April 08, 2021

AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine possibly linked to rare blood clots, EMA says

Europe's drug regulator affirmed the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks, but recommended the shot's label be updated to warn of the newly established side effect.

By Ben Fidler • UPDATED: April 7, 2021 at 12:31 p.m.

Urgent care centers draw some ER visits but associated with higher spending overall

The findings published in Health Affairs may suggest patients are going to the centers instead of more appropriate and lower cost settings like a primary care office or virtual visit.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 07, 2021

Nonprofit hospitals spent less on charity care than for-profit, government facilities: Health Affairs

The research is likely to garner attention as skeptics have questioned whether nonprofit organizations dole out enough charity care to justify the tax breaks they receive.

By Samantha Liss • April 06, 2021

Black patients far more likely to experience discrimination when seeking care: study

Reports of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation or health condition were even higher for low-income Black adults and Black women, according to a new study by the Urban Institute.

By Ron Shinkman • April 05, 2021

FDA warns of patient deaths tied to reusable urological endoscopes

The agency is sounding the alarm after receiving more than 450 adverse event reports in four years tying patient infections to the devices, as it continues to track contamination issues in duodenoscopes.

By Susan Kelly • UPDATED: April 5, 2021 at 1:33 p.m.

Shifting payer mix puts 340B hospitals at risk of losing eligibility

AHA wants HHS to waive certain eligibility requirements to allow continued access to the program during the public health emergency, the group wrote in a letter to Secretary Xavier Becerra.

By Hailey Mensik • April 01, 2021

A year into the pandemic, advanced cancer diagnoses are rising

Research from radiation oncologists and molecular pathologists add to evidence showing that many people skipped getting cancer screenings in 2020 as they avoided going to the doctor to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection.

By Susan Kelly • March 31, 2021

FTC challenges Illumina-Grail deal, putting $7B merger in jeopardy

The commission said the union will "harm competition in the U.S. market for life-saving multi-cancer early detection tests." Illumina is opposing the action, but Wall Street analysts see no “easy fixes."

By Nick Paul Taylor • March 31, 2021

Medical liability insurance premiums rising after stable decade, AMA report finds

While providers grapple with the pandemic's toll on finances, some can face liability premiums of $200,000 a year, according to the analysis sponsored by the doctors' lobby.

By Hailey Mensik • March 30, 2021

FDA approves first CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma

Approval of Bristol Myers Squibb and Bluebird bio's Abecma expands use of CAR-T treatment beyond leukemia and lymphoma.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 29, 2021

Senate passes bill extending Medicare sequester cut pause

CMS instructed Medicare administrative contractors to hold all claims on or after April 1, when the pause on cuts is scheduled to end. The House is expected to take up the Senate-passed bill when it returns the week of April 13.

By Hailey Mensik • UPDATED: March 31, 2021 at 8:23 a.m.

Hospitals flailed amid COVID-19 crisis, are unsure of future, OIG says

Executives said they were worried about their workers experiencing trauma and concerned a shrinking recruitment pool for nurses could exacerbate staffing shortages.

By Ron Shinkman • March 25, 2021

AstraZeneca, under fire, tries to repair image with new vaccine data

Updated results show the vaccine is only slightly less effective than AstraZeneca originally reported. But the drugmaker's unusual break with a study committee may have damaged perception of the shot.

By Ben Fidler • March 25, 2021

As Medicare sequester cut extension deadline looms, AHA urges Senate to act

Without action, the 2% payment cuts to providers are slated to go back into effect April 1. The hospital lobby expects a vote this week.

By Hailey Mensik • March 24, 2021

AstraZeneca may have used 'outdated' data to describe vaccine's efficacy, NIH says

The British drugmaker said it will release updated data from the large U.S. trial within 48 hours, but the puzzling episode is another communication misstep for the company.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 23, 2021

Cancer screenings bounced back after steep pandemic declines, Rand report shows

"These are the first findings to show that, despite real fears about the consequences of drop-off in cancer screens, health facilities figured out how to pick this back up after the initial pandemic restrictions," a researcher said.

By Samantha Liss • March 23, 2021

AstraZeneca, Oxford vaccine prevents COVID-19 in big US study amid controversy overseas

A two-shot regimen was 79% effective at protecting people from COVID-19, which should support the fourth clearance of a vaccine in the U.S. and calm safety concerns abroad. 

By Ben Fidler • March 22, 2021

Hospital mergers can slow wage growth for nurses, others: study

The Federal Trade Commission said it wants more analysis on the effects mergers have on labor markets and worker wages, though it typically challenges mergers that could up prices and distort care access.

By Samantha Liss • March 19, 2021