Appeals court rules abortion drug can stay on market — but limits access

The Department of Justice appealed the order on Thursday, moving the fight over access to mifepristone to the Supreme Court.

By Delilah Alvarado • Updated April 14, 2023

HHS proposes rule shoring up HIPAA to protect reproductive health data, including around abortions

Privacy lawyers said the regulation would insulate physicians from the chilling effect of abortion bans, freeing them to have honest conversations with patients about their healthcare options — even in states where abortion is illegal.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 12, 2023

Legal abortions fell by more than 32K following Dobbs decision, new data shows

Legal abortions in the 13 states with near-total bans plummeted to under 10 per month in the six months after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the Society of Family Planning.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 12, 2023

A Texas judge just turned back the clock on healthcare

The wiping out of preventive service requirements under the Affordable Care Act would render millions unable to receive life-saving preventive procedures, the CEO of the American College of Preventive Medicine argues.

By Donna Grande • April 12, 2023

New ONC rule aims to raise trust in clinical decision support algorithms

The rule proposed Tuesday would give providers more information in their electronic health record system to assess clinical decision support algorithms and their results.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 12, 2023

CMS proposes 2.8% hospital payment bump for 2024; lobbies decry rise as ‘woefully inadequate’

Hospital lobbies slammed the proposed rule as insufficient to help hospitals address inflation and rising labor costs, though research signals hospitals are more financially stable than such groups suggest.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 11, 2023

Federal judge invalidates FDA approval of abortion pill

The decision imperils access to the drug more than two decades after its U.S. approval, and could carry consequences for the FDA’s authority over prescription medicines.

By Delilah Alvarado • April 10, 2023

Healthcare added 34K jobs in March as temp nursing demand wanes

Hospitals may be catching a break from labor woes, with new data showing employment growth and declining demand for contract labor.

By Sydney Halleman • April 10, 2023

Biotech fears ‘dangerous’ precedent as judge challenges FDA authority

Industry leaders warned that “any medicine is at risk” if a federal judge’s decision to overturn the approval of abortion drug mifepristone is upheld.

By Ben Fidler , Delilah Alvarado • April 10, 2023

CMS cracks down on MA coverage denials and misleading ads in final rule

Both hospital and payer groups came out in support of the rule finalized Wednesday, finding common ground in the need to streamline prior authorization.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 6, 2023

Icahn ramps up rhetoric on Illumina after FTC orders Grail sale

In a letter to Illumina shareholders, Icahn says the two companies “should be separated immediately” to protect the “long term growth prospects and viability of each.”

By Peter Green • April 5, 2023

Some patients still pay for ACA-mandated free preventive care, study finds

Researchers in the study found that more than a third of patients incurred out-of-pocket expenses on the day of their ACA-mandated free preventative medical care service.

By Sydney Halleman • April 5, 2023

Provider groups push back on planned nursing home staff mandates

Two hospital groups are arguing that federal staffing mandates are a “one-size-fits-all” approach to the labor crisis and that issuing mandates could reduce capacity by forcing nursing homes to shut their doors.

By Hailey Mensik • April 4, 2023

Illumina ordered to divest Grail by FTC on anticompetition concerns

The San Diego-based DNA-sequencing company, which also faces a challenge from European antitrust regulators, said it will appeal the FTC’s order.

By Susan Kelly • April 3, 2023

Medicare go-broke date pushed back to 2031

The date Medicare’s hospital trust fund is expected to run dry has been extended by three years, but stakeholders continue to urge action from Washington to address Medicare’s long-term solvency.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 3, 2023

Biden administration announces appeal to ACA preventive mandate ruling

The Justice Department on Friday appealed a Texas judge's ruling that struck down part of the ACA requiring health plans to fully cover certain preventive medical services like HIV drugs and cancer screenings.

By Hailey Mensik • April 3, 2023

CMS increases MA rate bump for 2024

Risk adjustment changes will now be phased in over three years, after payers pushed back on the proposed payment rule.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 3, 2023

Biden’s latest drug price control plans threaten war on cancer, Alzheimer’s and more

Former Clinton health policy adviser Kenneth Thorpe argues that federal price control policies could wreak havoc in the industry.

By Kenneth E. Thorpe • March 31, 2023

FDA approves Narcan for over-the-counter use

It’s the first time a naloxone-based therapy for opioid overdoses has been cleared for use without a prescription, potentially helping to improve access.

By Delilah Alvarado • March 30, 2023

Judge tosses ACA preventive care mandate

The Thursday ruling means that, effective immediately, health plans nationwide are no longer required to fully cover certain preventative medical services like cancer, HIV and diabetes screenings.

By Hailey Mensik • March 30, 2023

Warren calls on CMS to finalize MA payment change

Insurance and provider lobbies called on the CMS to delay the rule earlier this month, saying the methodology was flawed and arguing the 30-day comment period didn't give them enough time to analyze the proposed changes.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 29, 2023

AHIP, AHA join forces in amicus brief to SCOTUS False Claims Act case

The groups argue the expansion of the FCA would threaten the “legitimate business activities of every government contractor, hospital, healthcare provider, health insurance provider, and grant recipient in the nation.”

By Sydney Halleman • March 29, 2023

Ohio AG sues ‘modern gangsters’ Cigna, Humana for alleged PBM price fixing

Ohio Attorney General David Yost filed suit on Monday against the payers' PBMs, along with Prime Therapeutics, for allegedly sharing pricing information and driving up drug prices.

By Hailey Mensik • March 28, 2023

North Carolina becomes 40th state to expand Medicaid

The expansion puts an end to a decade-plus political battle in North Carolina over Medicaid and illustrates mounting support for the program.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 27, 2023

FDA details plan to end emergency use authorizations

The agency is providing a 180-day transition period for devices that were exempted during the pandemic, and said companies that currently have an EUA should start preparing.

By Elise Reuter • March 24, 2023