MedPAC Draft Recommendation Calls for 1.3% Pay Bump for Medicare Clinicians
Physicians who treat Medicare patients would get about a 1.3% pay increase in 2025 under a draft chairman’s recommendation released Thursday by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). That figure represents half of the projected 2.6% increase in the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), a measure of the costs of running a medical practice, Brian O’Donnell, […]
Critics Say CDC Advisors’ Infection Control Guidance Isn’t Strong Enough
A CDC advisory committee voted unanimously on Friday to approve draft infection control guidelines, though some critics charge the recommendations don’t go far enough and ignore lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the heart of the controversy is a new “air” category for pathogen transmission, and three levels of air precautions based on how transmissible […]
FDA Outlines Rules for Telling Clinicians About Unapproved Uses of Drugs, Devices
The FDA has released revised draft guidance on communicating with healthcare professionals (HCPs) about unapproved uses of approved drugs and devices. Once it’s finalized, the document will reflect FDA’s stance on how companies can communicate scientific information to clinicians regarding unapproved uses of products already on the market. Comments are open through December 24. “In […]
Children in Clinical Trials: FDA’s Proposed Rules of Engagement
FDA issued draft guidance on ethical considerations and special safeguards for having children participate in clinical trials. The new statement addresses how to protect children in clinical investigations for drugs, biological products, and medical devices. Some of the fundamental concepts that the new guidance included for consideration by industry, sponsors, and institutional review boards (IRBs) […]
USPSTF: Screen Kids 8 and Up for Anxiety
In new draft guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for the first time recommends that healthcare providers screen children for anxiety, regardless of whether they are showing signs and symptoms. USPSTF is recommending anxiety screening for children ages 8 and older (B grade) and reaffirmed their recommendations to screen for major depression in […]