A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration can expand the sale of short-term health insurance policies that do not meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The final rule, originally promulgated by the Department of Labor, Treasury, and Human and Health Services in August 2018, redefined the requirements of a [...]

US Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a bill on Thursday that proposes to fast-track FDA approval for drugs and medical devices already authorized in other countries. Known as the Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act, or the RESULT Act, the bill advocates for the reciprocal approval of drugs. In [...]

A federal appeals court on Friday upheld an injunction against regulations allowing employers with religious or moral objections to deny birth control coverage to employees. The recent ruling affirms the injunction originally issued in January, which found the Department of Health & Human Service (HHS) exceeded its authority. The two final rules in contention are [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday struck down a final rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requiring drug manufacturers to disclose their prices in TV ads. The final rule was an attempt by the Trump administration to combat rising drug prices. Specifically, drug [...]

Two major Pittsburgh health systems, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Highmark Health (Highmark) struck a deal on Monday allowing Highmark patients to utilize UPMC’s facilities. The agreement prevents expiration of a previous agreement between the two systems set to occur on June 30, 2019. Originally, a consent agreement governed the relationship between [...]

Red River Women’s Clinic, the only remaining abortion clinic in North Dakota, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging two state laws that they claim compel health care professionals to provide “false, misleading, non-medical” information about reproductive health. The suit was filed alongside the American Medical Association (AMA) with help from the Center for Reproductive [...]

The US Supreme Court unanimously refused Wednesday to overturn precedent that gives power to agencies are when interpreting their own regulations. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Elena Kagan, detailed ways to constrain this heavy agency deference, commonly known as the Auer doctrine. The case, Kisor v. Wilkie, revolved around the Department of Veteran Affairs [...]

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of an ordinance banning the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes in the city. The ordinance will now be presented to the mayor, who will have 10 days to sign the legislation. Many cities and states have already raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco [...]

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday in an attempt to improve health care price transparency. The order directs various federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to put forward policy changes to give patients more information about their health care pricing. The new executive order comes roughly [...]

A Commonwealth Court judge ruled Friday that the agreement between two Pittsburgh health systems, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Highmark Health (Highmark) cannot be extended past its June 30, 2019 expiration date. As a result, Highmark insurance members will no longer have discounted access to UPMC facilities and network; triggering higher costs [...]