Policy & Regulation: Page 2

J&J to resume vaccine rollout in Europe after regulator says benefits outweigh risks

The EMA, however, recommended a warning be added to highlight a rare but serious side effect. Regulators in the U.S. are expected to soon make a similar decision.

By Ben Fidler , Jonathan Gardner • UPDATED: April 20, 2021 at 2:39 p.m.

Humana nets nearly $200M in overpayments, OIG audit finds

The watchdog said the payer submitted documentation that inaccurately showed some of its Medicare Advantage members were sicker than they actually were.

By Samantha Liss • April 20, 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

Healthcare employment steadily rebounding though hospitals left out

Hospital employment has sunk for three consecutive months, according to data from the Altarum Institute, and is down 37,000 jobs since the end of last year.

By Ron Shinkman • April 19, 2021

Advocate Aurora Health's new investment unit is on the hunt for deals

The Midwestern giant joins other nonprofits in launching a for-profit unit to diversify its revenue streams. Some critics question whether the strategy fits with the mission and perks enjoyed by not-for-profit entities.

By Samantha Liss • April 19, 2021

HHS nominees get smooth confirmation hearing

The scene was a contrast to the sometimes heated questioning of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, who was eventually confirmed by a narrow margin.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 16, 2021

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

CDC panel delays decision on J&J vaccine, extending pause over rare side effect

Advisers to the agency agreed to wait for more data before recommending new guidance, but aim to reconvene quickly to decide whether J&J vaccinations should be resumed, and for whom.

By 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

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