The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week proposed rolling back a trio of bundled payment pilot programs aimed at lowering healthcare costs and improving outcomes. The federal health insurer announced its 5-year “Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement” program in July 2015, saying it would involve more than 800 hospitals in 75 geographic areas. The CJR […]
Healthcare Reform
India institutes price caps for orthopedic knee implants
Updated to include comment from the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry. Indian regulators are capping prices of orthopedic knee implants as the country looks to lower the cost of medical devices. The country’s drug pricing authority said today that orthopedic implants in the country had unjustified, unreasonable and irrationally high trade margins, which led […]
Trumpcare goes down on no vote for ‘skinny repeal’
US Senate Republicans failed today to pass a ‘skinny’ bill which would have begun the process of dismantling Obamacare, leaving the future of the GOP-led effort to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law in question. Three Republican senators – John McCain (R-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) – joined […]
Senate mulls bare-bones Trumpcare bill ahead of votes marathon
(Reuters) — U.S. Senate Republicans embarked today on another push to unravel Obamacare, working on a stripped-down bill after failing to pass broader legislation and complete a seven-year campaign to gut a law that extended health coverage to millions. Republicans leaders hope a so-called “skinny bill,” which repeals a few key provisions of Democratic former […]
UPDATE: Senate votes to open Trumpcare debate, falters on Obamacare repeal-and-replace
U.S. Senate Republicans overcame one hurdle on their race to repeal and replace Obamacare, narrowly passing a procedural motion to open debate on the measure, but failed to win enough votes to pass the actual bill. The Senate deadlocked at 50-50 on whether to move forward on the healthcare debate, with Vice President Mike Pence […]
‘Any moving vehicle’: Medtech seeks a path for medical device tax repeal as Trumpcare dies
The likely demise of Republican plans to repeal Obamacare and replace it with their own version of healthcare reform has the medtech industry casting about for another way to get a repeal of the medical device tax into law. The U.S. House and Senate version of the Trumpcare legislation would have, among other things, done […]
Despite failed attempts, Trump orders continued effort on Obamacare repeal
President Trump has demanded that GOP senators return their attention to repealing and replacing Obamacare, despite failing to rally enough votes to pass the Republican-inked Trumpcare bill, or a straight repeal of the healthcare legislation. Yesterday, Trump ordered Republican senators to stay in Washington until they could enact a measure to roll back Obamacare and […]
More defections scuttle Republican plan to repeal Obamacare without replacement
Republican efforts repeal Obamacare despite the failure of their replacement healthcare reform plan likewise collapsed late yesterday, after a trio of moderate GOPers said they wouldn’t support the measure. Following the Trumpcare flameout yesterday, majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced a vote on a straight repeal of Obamacare to take effect in two years, […]
Trumpcare foundering, GOP kicks the can past the 2018 mid-terms
The latest version of the Republican plan for healthcare reform foundered last night after two more GOP senators said they would not back the measure, making it impossible for majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to muster enough votes for passage. Late last night McConnell said Republicans would instead take up legislation to repeal Obamacare […]
McCain surgery delays Trumpcare vote
The U.S. Senate over the weekend delayed a showdown over Trumpcare, the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) underwent surgery to remove a 2-in. blood clot above his left eye. “Elaine and I, along with the entire Senate family, wish John the very best and wish him a speedy […]
Senate Republicans release revised Trumpcare bill
(Reuters) – Senate Republican leaders, aiming to salvage efforts backed by President Donald Trump to dismantle the Obamacare law, on Thursday unveiled revised healthcare legislation that lets insurers sell bare-bones policies and retains key taxes on the wealthy. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, known as a skillful tactician, released the updated legislation in a […]