Biosimilars and the Fight Against Inflation
New legislation promised to increase patient access to critical drug products by lower costs. Will it work?
How the No Surprises Act Protects Consumers
New federal protections shield millions of consumers from surprise medical bills, which are unexpected bills from out-of-network providers, out-of-network facilities or out-of-network air ambulance providers.
Drug Vial Sizes, Waste and Recovering Costs
Manufacturers have mainly stayed on the periphery of the discussion about how to remedy the issue of unused or wasted drugs from single-use vials, but the REFUND Act is changing that.
Two Major Changes in Medicare in 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps the healthcare system. Two improvements to Medicare in 2022 seek to give people greater access to telehealth and other care delivery options.
CMS Launches New Medicare.gov Tool to Compare Nursing Home Vaccination Rates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making it easier to check COVID-19 vaccination rates for nursing home staff and residents by making vaccination data available in a user-friendly format.
Interim Rule Advances Key Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
An interim final rule with comment period to further implement the No Surprises Act details a process that will take patients out of the middle of payment disputes, provides a transparent process to settle out-of-network (OON) rates between providers and payers, and outlines requirements for healthcare cost estimates for uninsured (or self-pay) individuals.
HHS Announces the Availability of $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for healthcare providers affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic.
OCR Issues Guidance on HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations and the Workplace
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.
HHS Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
At the end of July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the national public health emergency declared for the COVID-19 pandemic, which grants COVID-19 payment and regulatory fl exibilities, for another 90 days.
Judge Rules Against Hospitals’ Suit Challenging New Price Transparency Rules
A federal judge ruled against the American Hospital Association and other hospital groups that filed suit in December contesting a finalized rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that requires hospitals to disclose price information, including negotiated prices with insurers.
