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May Healthcare News Update

Healthcare is ever-changing, so it’s important to stay up to date on advancements and issues that may impact the development, operation, maintenance, and growth of your services. Here are some important developments:

Age-adjusted heart failure-related deaths increase from 2012 to 2014

After declining for more than a decade, the age-adjusted rate for heart failure-related deaths increased from 2012 to 2014, according to a recent data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics. The trend was consistent for men and women of all age groups studied: 45 to 64 years old; 65 to 74 years old; 75 to 84 years old; and 85 and older. The death rate was higher for men than for women in all age groups. Read more…

ASNC Leadership on the Hill discuss AUC mandate

On February 8, 2016 members of ASNC’s Executive Council and Health Policy Committee attended 35 meetings with members of Congress and their staff to express ongoing concerns about the successful implementation of the AUC mandate (§ 218 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014). Specifically, the group requested report language that would urge HHS to leverage existing resources and foster collaboration across agencies to ensure knowledge gaps referring physicians may have in using AUC for advanced imaging services can be addressed prior to PAMA implementation. Read more…

Seven easy ways to reduce heart disease risk and be heart-healthy

It’s no secret that heart disease is the leading cause of death for adult men and women in this country. It kills one of every four people. The American Heart Association recommends seven easy ways to reduce your risk for heart disease and be heart-healthy. The AHA calls them, “Life’s Simple 7,” because they are easy to understand and can be followed by anyone at any age. Read more…

ACC releases lifelong learning competencies document for cardiologists

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) competency management committee released a report outlining competencies cardiologists should develop during their careers. The document, 2016 ACC Lifelong Learning Competencies for General Cardiologists, organizes the competencies based on six domains that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and American Board of Medical Specialties developed. The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) also endorsed the six domains. Read more…

Obama administration backs off on ACA rules for 2017 health plans

In a major win for the industry, health insurers will not be forced to have minimum quantitative standards when designing their networks of hospitals and doctors for 2017, nor will they have to offer standardized options for health plans. The CMS release a sweeping final rule that solidifies the Affordable Care Act’s coverage policies for 2017. The agency proposed tight network adequacy provisions and standardized health plan options in November, which fueled antipathy from the health insurance industry. Read more…

Senate confirms cardiologist as FDA head: 3 things to know

Robert Califf, MD, a cardiologist and clinical researcher from Durham, N.C.-based Duke University, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Feb. 24 as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, according to a report from The New York Times. Dr. Califf joined the FDA as deputy commissioner last year from Duke University, where he had served as a professor of medicine, a leading pharmaceutical researcher and the vice chancellor for clinical and translational research. Read more…

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