Government: Page 56
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Courtesy of Pfizer
FDA staff supportive of Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines in young children
Agency scientists found the shots to be similarly effective in kids as in older teenagers and raised no major safety red flags, documents published ahead of a meeting of agency advisers this week show.
By Jonathan Gardner , Ned Pagliarulo • June 13, 2022 -
FTC hits UnitedHealth, LHC with another request for information on $5.4B buy
Marrying LHC, which manages a sizable share of the home health market, with Optum, one of the biggest physician groups in the country, has raised regulators’ eyebrows.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 13, 2022 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Surprise BillingHospital lobby urges CMS to delay enforcement of price estimate requirement
The contested provision in the No Surprises Act requires certain providers to assemble a comprehensive cost estimate for patients, including costs from other providers that could step in to provide care.
By Samantha Liss • June 9, 2022 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
CMS issues first price transparency fines to 2 Georgia hospitals
Regulators have been criticized for moving slowly to enforce the rules, which came into effect January last year amid fierce opposition from hospital groups.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 9, 2022 -
Getty Images
HCA's purchase of 5 Utah hospitals from Steward on pause after judge's order
The court will now weigh whether to issue a preliminary injunction and will hear from both parties before deciding whether to block the deal.
By Samantha Liss • June 8, 2022 -
Carol Highsmith. (2005). "Apex Bldg." [Photo]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
FTC launches investigation into PBMs; CVS, UnitedHealth, Cigna and more hit with requests for data
Pharmacy groups cheered the news, which reversed a vote earlier this year by FTC commissioners not to investigate PBMs' pricing and contractual practices.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 7, 2022 -
Karen Ducey via Getty Images
Leapfrog raises concerns about CMS proposal to suppress patient safety data
The CMS is the only source for this data, and without it the public will not have information on preventable complications such as bed sores, inpatient falls that result in a broken hip, or sepsis, Leapfrog executives said.
By Samantha Liss • June 6, 2022 -
Healthcare payrolls recovering, still lag pre-pandemic levels
Hospitals led growth in healthcare jobs in May as the industry slowly rebuilds its pandemic-shaken workforce.
By Susan Kelly • June 6, 2022 -
Getty Images
Payers to return $1B to enrollees after record years of rebates, KFF says
The amount reflects the third-straight year of large insurer rebates as payers experienced high profits from the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Sydney Halleman • June 3, 2022 -
Carol Highsmith. (2005). "Apex Bldg." [Photo]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
FTC sues to block 2 hospital mergers
Steward Health Care System said it is deeply disappointed by the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to challenge its sale to HCA Healthcare in Utah as it weighs next steps.
By Samantha Liss • Updated June 7, 2022 -
Getty Images
Trustees' report shows additional breathing room for Medicare solvency, though concerns remain
Stronger-than-expected economic recovery from COVID-19 pushed back Medicare's go-broke date by two years, though budget hawks are warning the sunnier outlook might rely on outdated assumptions.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 3, 2022 -
Permission granted by Biogen
Medicare premiums will remain unchanged after Aduhelm price cut spurs review
The HHS Secretary had hoped premiums could be cut for seniors sooner rather than later but there are "legal and operational hurdles" to changing premiums midyear, according to a statement released Friday.
By Samantha Liss • May 31, 2022 -
Mark Wilson via Getty Images
HHS asks for more information blocking authority from Congress
If Congress grants regulators the expanded authority, actors could be protected from steep fines for data-sharing practices the HHS previously said were acceptable under complex information blocking regulations.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 27, 2022 -
Rollback of pandemic protections to test Medicaid managed care organizations
At question is whether insurers will be able to shift Medicaid members who lose coverage to subsidized marketplace plans.
By Samantha Liss • May 26, 2022 -
Megan Quinn/Healthcare Dive
Healthcare spending could drop $11.4B next year if ACA premium subsidies expire, research finds
The looming coverage cliff would also hit providers financially, according to a new report. President Joe Biden has pushed Congress to extend the more generous financial aid provided by the American Rescue Plan.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 26, 2022 -
North Carolina Republicans draft Medicaid expansion bill
The proposal, which signals growing support for expansion among state lawmakers after years of opposition, would add 600,000 low-income adults to the safety net insurance program.
By Susan Kelly • May 25, 2022 -
AHA urges DOJ to probe Medicare Advantage plans that deny care
The hospital lobby is pushing the Justice Department to punish Medicare Advantage organizations that routinely deny coverage to beneficiaries.
By Susan Kelly • May 23, 2022 -
David Paul Morris via Getty Images
Google hires former FDA digital health officer to global strategy post
In his new role, Bakul Patel will help Google build a unified digital health and regulatory strategy.
By Samantha Liss • May 19, 2022 -
Mass General files performance improvement plan with state
Massachusetts' largest hospital system has set cost savings targets after state regulators found fault with its healthcare spending growth and pressured the nonprofit to scale back a proposed expansion project.
By Susan Kelly • May 18, 2022 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
LabCorp becomes first company to get EUA for direct-to-consumer test for flu, RSV, COVID-19
LabCorp's kit is differentiated from other companies' products as it enables at-home sample collection without a prescription.
By Nick Paul Taylor • May 18, 2022 -
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" [Micrograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
NIH licenses COVID-19 technologies to WHO-backed program
The agreement, which covers three experimental vaccines as well as several key patents, makes products sold in 49 low-income countries royalty-free.
By Jonathan Gardner • May 16, 2022 -
Insurers seek steep marketplace premium hikes in Vermont
Proposed average increases on individual and family plans would buck the national trend of declining ACA exchange premiums. The increases would reach 17% for MVP Health Care and 12% for Blue Cross Blue Shield.
By Susan Kelly • May 16, 2022 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Efforts to protect health workers from violence on the job ramp up
Renewed efforts to pass federal requirements for healthcare employers come as some systems are implementing their own policies to keep workers safe.
By Hailey Mensik • May 13, 2022 -
VA EHR implementation facing patient data, access concerns, audit finds
The multibillion-dollar Cerner implementation hasn't improved data exchange as well as some had hoped, as the departments "did not take all actions needed to achieve interoperability," the audit found.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 12, 2022 -
Courtesy of Advocate Aurora Health, Atrium Health
FTC likely to examine insurer overlap in Advocate Aurora, Atrium merger
Mergers with geographic overlap often face challenges. This deal doesn't "raise the same red flags, but it doesn't mean that it gets waved through," said Leemore Dafny, former deputy director of healthcare and antitrust at the FTC.
By Samantha Liss • May 12, 2022
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