Physician practices scramble to comply with new privacy reg

Physicians in many small practices are still struggling to comply with Massachusetts’ sweeping new data privacy regulation that went into effect on March 1 – and many doctors aren’t even aware of the changes. Read more

FDA to require data from cigarette makers

The Food and Drug Administration will for the first time require tobacco companies to disclose ingredients of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Read more

FDA moves to reduce radiation in scans

The Food and Drug Administration has launched an initiative aimed at reducing unnecessary radiation exposure from medical imaging procedures. Read more

New FDA guidance would speed up medical device trials

The Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance on the use of a new statistical method the agency said could result in faster and less costly medical device clinical trials. Read more

Reps say small business health mandate unfair

The so-called fair share provision in state law requiring employers with 11 or more workers to offer health insurance to many of them has proven to be unfair to small businesses, two state representatives claim. Read more

Bill to punish docs for late death reports

A legislative proposal to punish physicians who fail to report a patient’s death in a timely manner has been blasted by advocates for hospice and end-of-life care. Read more

Gov. aims to control small biz health costs

The state insurance commissioner will now require health insurance companies to provide advance notice of any rate increases for small businesses and will reject those that he believes are “unreasonable or excessive,” Gov. Deval L. Patrick has announced. Read more

Bill aims to mandate postpartum coverage

An Amherst Democrat is sponsoring legislation to require insurers to cover regular screening of women within a year after giving birth in an effort to combat postpartum depression. Read more

Physicians must prepare for new EHR regulations

Doctors hoping to obtain a share of an estimated $27 billion in federal incentive bonuses for implementing electronic health records would have to meet a wide range of new “meaningful use” requirements under proposed regulations released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read more

Study: Measurable BPA found in many food products

A recent study by Consumer Reports found that many food products, including canned soups, juice, tuna, packaged organic foods and items labeled “BPA-free,” contained measurable levels of Bisphenol A. Read more

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