Patient Rights
Legislation proposes granting CRNA practice authority to expand anesthesia access for veterans
Editor's Note Legislation introduced in the US House of Representatives seeks to expand access to anesthesia care for veterans by granting Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) full practice authority within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The Ensuring Veterans Timely Access to Anesthesia Care Act of 2025 is sponsored by Representatives…
Study: Implicit bias linked to low-value vascular procedures, worse outcomes for Black patients
Editor's Note Reducing the negative influence of implicit bias requires system-level interventions to ensure procedures align with best practices for all patients, according to results of new research on outcomes for vascular surgery patients. Published February 26 in JAMA Surgery, the study showed that implicit racial bias among vascular specialists…
New legal standard redefines medical negligence
Editor's Note A revised legal standard for assessing medical negligence in the US shifts away from customary medical practice and toward a more patient-centered definition of reasonable care, according to a February 26 letter published in Jama Network. Following a 2024 update from the American Law Institute, the new framework…
Trump signs executive order to enforce hospital price transparency rules
Editor's Note President Donald Trump signed an executive order to enforce healthcare price transparency regulations, according to a February 25 report in Fierce Healthcare. As detailed in the article, the order directs the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) to rapidly implement and enforce price transparency…
Texas abortion ban linked to spike in pregnancy complications, maternal death
Editor’s Note Pregnancy complications—including life-threatening sepsis—surged in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021, according to a ProPublica analysis of seven years’ worth of state hospital data. In a February 20 report, the outlet details how sepsis rates for women hospitalized after second-trimester pregnancy loss rose by more than…
Montana legislators' prior authorization reform push mirrors national trends
Editor's Note Montana legislators are moving to restrict health insurers’ use of prior authorization as frustration over the practice mounts nationwide, KFF News reported February 13. The outlet reports that two Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced or are drafting bills for the 2025 Montana Legislature to limit these insurer-mandated…
Rural hospital closures drive up surgical travel times and costs
Editor's Note Ongoing hospital closures are driving up travel times and out-of-pocket costs for rural Americans who need surgery, according to a February 12 report in HealthDay. Citing two recent studies published in Annals of Surgery and JAMA, respectively, the article details how rural hospital closures have forced more patients…
Cigna ties executive pay to patient experience
Editor's Note As part of a larger initiative to ease access to care, insurance giant Cigna is tying compensation for senior leadership directly to customer satisfaction. Modern Healthcare reported the news February 3. The shift is part of a multi-pronged approach that also includes overhauling prior authorization requirements and limiting…
Proposed HIPAA updates would improve cybersecurity, increase costs for healthcare providers
Editor’s Note Entities covered by the HIPAA security rule may soon need to adapt to more prescriptive requirements, new compliance mandates, and significantly higher costs, according to a January 24 report from TechTarget. As outlined in a December notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the proposal by the Department of Health…
Providers push back on insurance cost-cutting hurdles
Editor's Note Escalating administrative hurdles from insurers are heightening tensions between healthcare payers and providers who criticize the measures for threatening patient care, Modern Healthcare reported January 22. According to the article, policies attracting criticism include stringent prior authorization rules, claims denials, and new fees for appeals. For their part,…
Free Daily News
- Novel liver transplant technique offers new hope for colorectal cancer patients
- Bipartisan bill would expand presidential trade authority over medical goods
- Legislation proposes granting CRNA practice authority to expand anesthesia access for veterans
- FDA announces Class 1 recall for implantable ports
- FDA designates Class 1 recall for embolization devices
- AI reshapes healthcare leadership
- The Joint Commission launches UNIFY 2025 to advance patient safety, healthcare quality
- Insights into spinal vs general anesthesia: Which comes out on top for same-day outpatient surgery?
- US News & World Report releases results of second annual ‘Best ASCs’ ratings
- Hospitals make steady gains in patient safety amid persistent challenges