AAMC increases projection of physician shortage up to 100K

The number of new physicians is "not keeping pace with the healthcare demands of a growing and aging population," the organization stated.

By Ana Mulero • March 16, 2017

CBO scores leaves some Republicans skittish about ACA replacement

The nonpartisan agency's report finding the ACA replacement bill would leave 24 million more people without insurance in 10 years received mixed reactions from GOP members.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 15, 2017

DOJ presses on against Anthem-Cigna appeal

"Anthem had no real plan to achieve" the medical cost savings it claimed the combined company would create, according to the new brief filed with the Court of Appeals.

By Ana Mulero • March 14, 2017

CBO: 24M more uninsured by 2026 under AHCA

The score of the ACA replacement bill from the Congressional Budget Office was worse for Republicans than many expected, but they responded by saying the report was flawed and pointed to budget savings the nonpartisan agency predicted.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 14, 2017

Merger ahead for two nonprofit patient safety organizations

The merger between The Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the National Patient Safety Foundation is expected to create a more influential advocate for patient safety.   

By Luke Gale • March 14, 2017

Seema Verma confirmed as CMS administrator

While Verma was confirmed as expected, a vast majority of Senate Democrats made clear they were not happy. 

By Luke Gale • March 14, 2017

ACGME approves 24-hour shifts for first-year residents

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 2011 had shifted to a 16-hour shift length limit from a 24-hour cap.

By Luke Gale • March 10, 2017

ProPublica: Millions of dollars in unused medical supplies discarded

Hospitals point to patient safety guidelines as a defense for the practice of discarding medical supplies even when they are unused and unexpired. 

By Luke Gale • March 10, 2017

ACA replacement bill continues to face major hurdles

Two House committees spent hours marking up the bill Wednesday and into Thursday while more industry groups said they couldn't support the legislation.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 9, 2017

DC telehealth bill would expand physician pool for underserved areas of city

Currently, 17 states participate in the interstate licensing compact.

By Meg Bryant • March 8, 2017

Revised order on immigration does not quell healthcare concerns

An updated executive order could prevent medical students from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Syria from attending residency programs in the United States.

By Luke Gale • March 8, 2017

Negative reactions roll in for Republican ACA replacement bill

Members of the House Freedom Caucus said at a press conference that they plan to introduce the original ACA repeal bill from 2015 this week.

By Jeff Byers • March 7, 2017

HHS Secretary comments in support of Medicare for seniors

While Tom Price supported efforts to privatize Medicare as a member of Congress, he recently stated President Donald Trump's administration “believes in the guarantee of Medicare for our seniors."

By Luke Gale • March 7, 2017

CDC prepares for new strain of bird flu without appointed leader

A new strain of bird flu is on the rise, which has prompted the CDC to begin thinking about a new vaccine. 

By Luke Gale • March 6, 2017

Teladoc's membership grows by 55%, hits 17.5M

States have shown mixed progress with telemedicine adoption and coverage, a new report from the American Telemedicine Association revealed. 

By Ana Mulero • March 6, 2017

Cigna reverses course, says Anthem merger should be approved

Cigna now agrees the court decision that blocked its $54 billion merger with Anthem should be reversed after the U.S. Court of Appeals granted the motion to expedite the appeal process. 

By Ana Mulero • March 3, 2017

Thank Goodness It's Friday: Twitter investigates 'secret' GOP ACA replacement bill

In a strange turn of events, senators and journalists scoured the basement of Congress for an ACA replacement bill that was said to be "under lock & key, in a secure location." Here's everything you (don't really) need to know. 

By Ana Mulero, Jeff Byers & Shannon Muchmore • March 2, 2017

JAMA: Legislative action needed to improve healthcare competition

As hospital consolidation continues and more physicians turn to hospitals for employment, the authors state competition in many healthcare markets is on the decline.

By Jeff Byers , Luke Gale • March 2, 2017

Senate Finance Committee advances Verma's CMS nomination

Seema Verma is still expected to receive confirmation as the new head of the CMS, but several members of the Senate Finance Committee were absent from the scheduled vote Wednesday, causing a delay.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 2, 2017

Provider groups ask feds to delay EHR upgrade deadline

Just 54 of more than 3,700 EHR products have been certified to 2015 Edition requirements, the 100 medical groups and and state medical societies say. 

By Meg Bryant • March 2, 2017

House Ways and Means Committee to release healthcare legislation this month

A handful of Republican healthcare ideas have been debated over the past several months, but the party has still not coalesced behind a particular plan for repealing and replacing the ACA. 

By Luke Gale • March 2, 2017

Trump outlines 5 principles for healthcare reform

The president called on all Democrats and Republicans to work together on healthcare going forward.

By Jeff Byers • March 1, 2017

Growing attention on surprise medical bills highlights need for legislative action

Surprise medical bills have caught the attention of journalists and researchers. As more and more information becomes available, it seems there is a growing appetite for federal legislation to address the problem. 

By Luke Gale • March 1, 2017

Early elective deliveries less common now than in 2010

Seema Verma, the nominee to lead CMS, indicated during a confirmation hearing that the government should not require health plans to include maternity coverage.

By Luke Gale • Feb. 28, 2017

U.S. News & World Report delivers state-by-state healthcare rankings

The rankings deliver state profiles that can serve as building blocks to improve understanding of discrepancies in healthcare.

By Luke Gale • Feb. 28, 2017