HIPAA reform should protect patients, scale back silos around medical data

Lifespark chief executive Joel Theisen argues for an update of HIPAA that acknowledges an advanced technology landscape and gives providers a fuller picture of patient health.

By Joel Theisen • March 24, 2023

Moderna CEO defends price of COVID shot at Senate hearing

Stéphane Bancel said his company’s planned price hike covers the higher costs of commercial sales. Sen. Bernie Sanders called it part of industry’s “unprecedented level of corporate greed.”

By Christopher Newman • March 22, 2023

Delays in reporting led FDA to late cancer warning on breast implants, advocates say

Cases need to be better tracked, and the cancer risks should be discussed with patients prior to surgery, patient advocates and physicians said.

By Elise Reuter • March 22, 2023

DOJ drops appeal against UnitedHealth’s acquisition of Change

In a Monday filing with a federal appeals court, the DOJ-led group agreed to withdraw its suit against a ruling that had allowed the merger.

By Sydney Halleman • March 22, 2023

Arbiters instructed to resume No Surprises Act determinations

The CMS had previously paused and resumed earlier disputes between payers and providers after a Texas judge ruled against the federal government and vacated portions of the law that bans surprise billing.

By Sydney Halleman • March 21, 2023

Wyoming bans abortion pills

It is the first state to specifically prohibit the pills, which make up half of all abortions in the U.S. The ban comes before an expected decision by a Texas judge that could force manufacturers to pull one pill from markets nationwide.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 20, 2023

Transforming veteran healthcare: How telehealth is changing the game

Discover how telehealth is revolutionizing veteran healthcare, providing high-quality care regardless of location with essential use cases like video consultations, remote monitoring and telestroke.  

By Matt Wall, Director, Business Development, Tryten Technologies • March 20, 2023

CMS lays out plans for negotiating drug prices

The guidance fills in details for one of the central pharmaceutical provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, signaling how the agency will use its new authority.

By Christopher Newman • March 16, 2023

Majority of states plan to take their time with Medicaid redeterminations

Some states are proposing to unwind Medicaid coverage more slowly, while others are moving more quickly to focus on reducing budgetary costs, according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 16, 2023

MedPAC recommends physician pay bump, but not enough for provider groups

Updating base physician payment rates by 1.45% in 2024 as proposed by the group that advises Congress on Medicare policy is “grossly insufficient,” the Medical Group Management Association said.

By Hailey Mensik • March 16, 2023

US names first drugs to face price hike penalty

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, pharma companies owe rebates to Medicare for price increases they take that exceed inflation. But they won’t need to pay until 2025.

By Christopher Newman • March 15, 2023

FTC says health privacy key priority in 2024 budget request

The agency cited its need to take on bigger and more complex cases in areas like health privacy in its request on Tuesday for a $160 million funding boost.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 15, 2023

VA to cover Leqembi for veterans with early Alzheimer’s

The agency’s decision on Eisai and Biogen’s newly approved drug contrasts with a stringent Medicare policy that limits coverage to only patients in clinical trials.

By Christopher Newman • March 14, 2023

Democrat senators press major US pharmacies on mifepristone access

The letters, sent to Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Walmart, Kroger and Costco, urge the chains to clarify their positions on dispensing the abortion pill.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 14, 2023

Physicians say prior authorization rules harm patients, AMA survey finds, as CMS works toward new policy

Over a third of physicians said the requirements led to a serious adverse event for one of their patients, such as hospitalization, permanent impairment or death, the survey found.

By Hailey Mensik • March 14, 2023

Biden’s proposed HHS budget aims to make pandemic-era subsidies permanent

The budget also proposes to extend Medicare solvency and give the federal government more power to negotiate prescription drug prices.

By Sydney Halleman • March 9, 2023

California cancels $54M Walgreens contract over company’s decision to not sell abortion pills

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is making good on his threat to no longer do business with Walgreens over abortion pill access, illustrating how the drugstore industry is struggling to navigate shifting state abortion laws.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 9, 2023

House committee latest to launch investigation into PBMs

It’s the most recent action targeting PBMs for allegedly using their market power to raise drug prices, and comes as the Federal Trade Commission also launched a similar investigation.

By Hailey Mensik • March 8, 2023

Texas women, denied medically necessary abortions, sue state to clarify exceptions to ban

The lawsuit highlights how abortion bans create a chilling effect for obstetric care, as physicians — worried about legal repercussions — can refuse or delay care to those with complications.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 8, 2023

Insurers, trade groups ask CMS to delay MA rule

Insurance lobbyists argue that the 1.03% plan increase is insufficient and, in combination with other changes, would actually result in payment cuts.

By Sydney Halleman • March 7, 2023

FTC pushes back deadline for public to weigh in on noncompete ban

FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson said she would have supported an even longer extension since the proposed rule is “a departure from hundreds of years of precedent.” 

By Samantha Liss • March 7, 2023

Biden’s plan to improve Medicare solvency targets prescription drugs

The plan — part of Biden’s 2024 budget proposal set to be released Thursday — would further reduce what Medicare pays for prescription drugs and raise taxes on Americans earning over $400,000.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 7, 2023

Healthcare cybersecurity still has room to improve safety

Steve Winterfeld, Akamai's advisory chief information and security officer, outlines the threat of cyberattacks to healthcare organizations and what the industry can do to prevent them.

By Steve Winterfeld • March 3, 2023

FTC bans BetterHelp from sharing consumer data with advertisers, issues $7.8M fine

It’s the latest enforcement action accusing a digital health company of sharing consumer data with advertisers.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 2, 2023

Gross margins in MA market returned to pre-pandemic levels by end of 2021, report finds

The analysis of insurer markets in 2021, the latest year of available annual data, sheds light into the varied financial performance of insurers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Sydney Halleman • March 1, 2023