Regulators
Mass. launches hospital infection crackdown
Massachusetts regulators have gotten deadly serious about fighting the spread of infections within hospitals. Yesterday, the Public Health Council approved a measure under which state inspectors will... Read more...
Blue Cross of CA halts patient info requests
Yesterday, we told you about Blue Cross of California's practice of sending letters to physicians asking them to look for--and report--medical conditions that could be used to cancel their patients'... Read more...
HHS advisories give guidance on doctor gain-sharing
With the release of two new advisory opinions by HHS, it's clearer now how hospitals can share cost savings with doctors without running afoul of regulators. One of the two opinions address address... Read more...
NY hospital avoids closure with new delivery model
While many hospitals targeted by the New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century have been forced to close, one 50-bed hospital seems to have brokered a deal which will... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: Stryker recalls hip surgery products; Heart disease deaths fall below 2010 goal; and much more...
> Medical technology firm Stryker Corp. is recalling some of its hip surgery products after getting a warning from regulators. Read more...
Firm asks MDs to take patients offshore for unapproved care
A U.S. firm has begun drawing attention for an unusual practice--asking doctors to take patients offshore to administer an investigational prostate cancer treatment not yet approved by the FDA. The... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: Health IT not likely to shift much in '08; HHS recommends better health data privacy protections; and much more...
> Despite the volume of political dialog on the subject, it seems unlike that there will be big changes in the U.S. health IT infrastructure this year. Read more...
FDA to further investigate anemia drug risks
The FDA has announced that it plans to review data on key anemia drugs Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit which suggests that they can increase risks of death and tumor growth in women with breast or... Read more...
Device-maker kickbacks: Ending the cycle?
In this newsletter, you'll see a story every week or two about some medical device manufacturer who's caught providing kickbacks or bribes for doctors who use its product. When they're caught, the... Read more...
CMS hires PwC to review hospitals' HIPAA compliance
Working with consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, CMS has begun a series of "compliance reviews" of hospitals to see whether they're meeting the standards set by the security rule... Read more...
