Articles - MVC

An article written by PAMED Partner, ProAssurance

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a long-awaited approval of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine but with unusual restrictions. Novavax, the maker of the nation’s only traditional protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, only had emergency use authorization from the FDA for its vaccine in anyone age 12 or older.

On May 16, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today cleared for marketing the first invitro diagnostic device that tests blood to aid in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.

On May 13, 2025, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) renewed its recommendation for early and universal screening for syphilis during pregnancy.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) proudly announces the recipients of its annual Top Physicians Under 40 awards—recognizing the most exceptional early-career physicians who are making a profound impact in medicine.

The Department of Health's Spinal Cord Research Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Friday, May 23, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) is proud to announce Ada-Nkem Emuwa, MD, MPH as the recipient of its 2025 Community Voluntary Service Award, honoring her unwavering dedication to advancing health care, promoting diversity, and supporting underserved communities through advocacy and service.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) is proud to announce Richard Wender, MD as the recipient of its 2025 Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed upon PAMED members. This prestigious recognition celebrates Dr. Wender’s unwavering commitment to advancing primary care, public health, and health equity while shaping the future of medicine through groundbreaking initiatives and compassionate leadership.

Jeff Truhan, a Ed.D candidate and Chief Quality Assurance Risk Management and Safety Officer at Keystone Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Chambersburg, is examining an issue critical to the medical field: the reluctance of early-career primary care physicians to self-report medical errors.

This proposed rule would change and update policies and payment rates used under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for FY 2026. This rulemaking also proposes to update the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program.

This proposed rule would update the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. As required by statute, this proposed rule includes the proposed classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2026. It also continues the second year of the 3-year phaseout of the rural adjustment, which began in FY 2025. Additionally, the proposed rule includes updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP).

This proposed rule would revise the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals; make changes relating to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; update the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs); update and make changes to requirements for certain quality programs; and make other policy-related changes.

This rulemaking proposes to update the prospective payment rates, the outlier threshold, and the wage index for Medicare inpatient hospital services provided by Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPFs), which include psychiatric hospitals and excluded psychiatric units of an acute care hospital or critical access hospital.

This proposed rule would update the hospice wage index, payment rates, and cap amount for FY 2026. In addition, this proposed rule would clarify in the payment regulations that the physician member of the hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) may recommend admission to hospice.

The Statewide HPG has canceled the previously scheduled Wednesday, May 14, 2025, and Thursday, May 15, 2025, meetings.

Last week PAMED and the AMA filed an amici curiae brief asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse a Superior Court decision that, if left in place, would impose a lowered standard to establish liability in certain medical malpractice cases.

PAMED has been informed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) that a provider has been arrested, which means patients may not have access to care.

Though seasonal flu activity is low or minimal across the country, more children have died this flu season than at any time in the past 15 years.

In Pennsylvania, Legionella infections increase each year during spring, summer, and fall months (May-November).

On Sept 29, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an unfavorable ruling in a medical malpractice case in which PAMED had filed an amicus brief.