What We're Reading: CMS May Require Medicare Hospitals Follow New Antibiotic Controls

CMS has proposed that Medicare hospitals closely manage the use of antibiotics or be ejected from the program. According to The Wall Street Journal, CMS would require that hospitals adopt new antibiotic controls in an attempt to reduce overuse. Federal health officials are concerned about the growing threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Under the proposal, hospitals would have someone in charge of antibiotic oversight.

New York is looking to increase access to breast cancer screening under a new deal by lawmakers. Hospitals would be required to expand hours when mammograms are offered and insurers would have to eliminate deductibles and copays for some diagnostic tests, including screening, reported the AP. The measure is expected to pass with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic assembly speaker, and the Republican senate leader.

Clinical trials are reporting greater success rates. STAT reported that more than 11% of clinical trials succeeded between 2012 and 2014, which reversed the downward trend of the last 2 decades. The declines in clinical trial success rates was attributed to many drug makers cutting back on R&D. The success rate had bottomed out at 7.5% between 2008 and 2011, which was far below the 16.4% success rate seen between 1996 and 1999.