Susan Morse

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AHA, AMA and others file lawsuit over No Surprises Act implementation

The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and other provider organizations have sued the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies over impl

House averts massive Medicare cuts to hospitals and physicians

Medicare payment cuts that would have affected reimbursement to hospitals and physicians have again been averted by a last-minute deal in the House.

Omicron spreads to 21 states but may be less severe

A little more than a week after Omicron was first detected in the United States and two years after the first coronavirus case was reported in China, 21 states have confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 variant.
This variant may be less severe, according…

HHS shows 63-fold increase in Medicare telehealth use during the pandemic

Telehealth utilization increased 63-fold during the pandemic, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Behavioral health providers saw the highest telehealth utilization in a 32-fold increase, HHS said.

Insurers are being required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests

Starting next month, health plans will cover at-home tests for the 150 million Americans with private health insurance, President Biden says.

Northwell Health launches patient engagement platform developed by health system incubator

Backed by Northwell Ventures, the Playback Health mobile platform gives patients a replay of their care instructions.

FDA committee narrowly recommends Merck’s antiviral pill to treat COVID-19

The FDA’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted 13-10 to recommend that the FDA authorize Merck’s antiviral pill to treat COVID-19.
Safety concerns include a recommendation that the drug not be used during pregnancy.
Many committee members said …

Numerous states win lawsuits against federal vaccine mandate

A federal judge in Missouri has granted 10 states a preliminary injunction against the Biden Administration’s rule requiring healthcare workers to get vaccinated.
The federal government overstepped its authority because the mandate was not authorized b…

Supreme Court to hear 340B drug discount arguments today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today in the case involving 340B payments for hospitals’ outpatient drugs.

WHO declares COVID-19’s Omicron a ‘Variant of Concern’

The World Health Organization has declared the new COVID-19 variant Omicron a “Variant of Concern.” 
The WHO Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution convened on Friday to assess the variant that was first reported to WHO from South Afric…