Life is hectic, we know, so here’s a recap of the Healthcare Weekly Hot Topics you can’t afford to miss:
- U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Risk Payments to Health Insurers. Reuters. December 31, 2019.
A U.S. appeals court upheld the validity of a federal program governing the payment of billions of dollars to insurers under the Affordable Care Act, reversing a lower court ruling that had prompted the White House to temporarily suspend payments.
2) Health Tech Companies to Face Stricter Privacy Rules in 2020. Bloomberg Law. December 31, 2019.
Health technology companies face stricter privacy rules and risk steeper fines in 2020 as they navigate a ream of new state and federal rules to protect patient privacy.
3) Loophole Closed in Texas Law Designed to Protect Against Surprise Medical Billing. Houston Chronicle. January 1, 2020.
A new Texas law designed to protect against “surprise” medical bills contained a loophole that could have exposed patients to just the kind of costly surprises the law was supposed to prevent.
4) The FDA Cannot Prove its Opioid Strategy Actually Worked. CNN. December 30, 2019.
The US Food and Drug Administration can’t show a key program meant to address opioid misuse and abuse actually paid off.
5) Colleges Encouraging Students to Use Mental Health Applications – But, is this a Risk to Students’ Privacy? The Washington Post. December 27, 2019.
As student demand for mental health services grows, and more colleges turn to digital platforms, experts say universities must begin to consider their role as keepers of sensitive student information and the consequences of encouraging or mandating these technologies.
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