Regulatory/Legislative News

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled 6 to 3 in King v. Burwell, stipulating that the Internal Revenue Service may extend tax credits and premium subsidies for health insurance to consumers who purchase insurance through state or federal exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.

By a vote of 10 in favor, two against and no abstentions, with two members not voting, the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended yesterday that brilliant blue G be included on a list of bulk drug substances that may be used for compounding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the majority of severe vision loss in the U.S. was found in counties in the South and that it was significantly correlated with poverty.

From international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP comes a timely column that provides views on current regulatory and legislative topics that weigh on the minds of today’s physicians and health care executives.

A fascinating collision is happening in health care right now, and physicians are caught in the middle. On one side, payers, whether private or public sector, seek to contain costs. Increasingly, this means restricting access to care. On the other side are regulations that expensively complicate the way we treat our patients.

From international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP comes a timely column that provides views on current regulatory and legislative topics that weigh on the minds of today’s physicians and health care executives.

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, signed into law on April 16, will make major changes in Medicare payments for physician services.

CMS issued its Stage 3 Meaningful Use Proposed Rule on March 30 (Proposed Rule). Stage 3 is expected to be the final stage of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program when the regulation is finalized. This article provides a high-level review of the Proposed Rule. A more comprehensive assessment of the proposed objectives and measures is available here.

At a special reception in the White House Rose Garden, President Barack Obama recognized David W. Parke II, MD, CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and other medical community leaders for their support of the bipartisan bill that repealed the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula.

By a vote of 92 to 8, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill that repeals the SGR, a key factor in annual Medicare physician payment updates, and replaces it with a merit-based payment system.