WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Alex Azar, a former drug industry executive and lobbyist nominated to run the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicated on Tuesday he supported a Republican bid to overhaul Medicaid and again vowed to tackle high drug prices. Azar appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, which will ultimately decide whether to…
Trump to Tap Ex-Pharma Executive Azar as U.S. Health Secretary
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—President Donald Trump on Monday said he will nominate former pharmaceutical executive and industry lobbyist Alex Azar to serve as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, saying Azar would push to lower the price of medicines. If confirmed, Azar also would take the lead in implementing Trump’s campaign promise to dismantle the Affordable Care…
OIG Releases 2017 Work Plan: A Summary
Each fall, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) puts out its Work Plan for the upcoming fiscal year to summarize its initiatives and priorities for new and ongoing work of HSS programs. Below is a summary of the key areas the OIG will focus on in 2017: Drug…
U.S. Senate Confirms Rep. Price as Health Secretary
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted on Friday to confirm Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as the top U.S. healthcare official, putting a determined opponent of Obamacare in position to help President Donald Trump dismantle the healthcare law. The Senate voted 52-47 to approve the conservative congressman and orthopedic surgeon as secretary of the Department…
Advocacy Spotlight: Dr. Matt Heinz, Candidate for Congress from Arizona District 2 (Tucson)
RheumPAC is the ACR’s political action committee dedicated to increasing rheumatology’s presence on Capitol Hill. It is the only PAC dedicated to the interests of all rheumatologists and their patients. RheumPAC began in 2007 with the purpose of building contacts, influence and visibility within Washington, D.C. for rheumatology. RheumPAC works to support and elect pro-rheumatology…
U.S. Appeals Court: Hospitals Can Be ‘Urban’ & ‘Rural’ at Same Time
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The federal appeals court in New York struck down a U.S. regulation that made it harder for hospitals to provide better medical care at lower cost by claiming they were “rural” for some purposes and “urban” for others. Thursday’s decision by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a victory for hospitals…
Department of Health and Human Services’ Final Rule Expands HIPAA Obligations, Violation Penalties
Physicians’ business associates can now face civil and criminal penalties for violating HIPAA laws guarding the confidentiality of protected health information