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…
Editor's Note Multiple states seek to limit corporate influence in medicine by instituting additional checks on private equity-driven healthcare mergers, according to a March 17 report in Axios. Referencing multiple state-specific reports, the article summarizes specific efforts in Massachusetts, where a new law expands oversight of transactions; Maine, where a…
Editor's Note Health system executives cite regulatory uncertainty, workforce challenges, and technology investment as top priorities for the next five years, according survey data released February 26 by healthcare advisory firm Chartis. Based on responses from 61 US health system CEOs and chief security officers (CSOs) in December 2024, the…
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…
Editor's Note Wildfire smoke is driving up borrowing costs for hospitals and healthcare facilities, potentially leading to higher patient care costs, according to new research from the University of Nevada, Reno. As detailed in a February 18 article in Nevada Today, findings show municipal bond investors are factoring wildfire smoke…
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…
Editor's Note More than 300,000 healthcare positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been exempted from a federal hiring freeze ordered by President Donald Trump on January 20, ensuring continuity in care for veterans. Military.com reported the news January 23. According to the article, acting VA Secretary Todd…
Editor's Note Analysts say proposed tariffs on imported goods could increase costs for approximately 75% of medical devices marketed in the United States, 69% of which are manufactured solely abroad, according to a January 20 article in Medical Product Outsourcing. Valued at $197.8 billion in 2023, the US medical device…
Editor's Note Immigration and trade policies proposed by President-elect Donald Trump could exacerbate challenges with healthcare staff and medical supply chains, according to recent reporting from Modern Healthcare and The Hill. As detailed by Modern Healthcare, stricter immigration policies could impede efforts to recruit skilled international workers, exacerbating gaps in…
Editor's Note Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield recently reversed its controversial plan to impose time limits on anesthesia coverage after intense backlash from the medical community, including anesthesiologists and patient advocates. The policy, aimed at curbing alleged overbilling, would have restricted payments based on average surgery times, a move critics…