Healthcare Policy

Burr Ridge, Ill. – September 20, 2026 -- SkinCure Oncology reported that 4.7 million Americans are diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) annually, a figure more than 40 percent higher than the widely cited benchmark of 3.3 million patients that has anchored healthcare policy discussions for over a decade.

Updated analysis replaces a 14-year-old dataset

The long-standing statistic of 3.3 million Americans diagnosed with 5.4 million NMSC lesions annually stems from a 2015 study built on 2012 data. SkinCure Oncology's new benchmark puts annual lesion counts at 6.7 to 7.7 million, reflecting the disease's disproportionate impact on aging populations.

Secaucus, N.J. – September 19, 2026 -- A new national survey commissioned by Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) finds that 75% of 1,024 registered voters surveyed consider diagnostic lab testing "very important" to their care, with a bipartisan majority pressing Congress to pass the RESULTS Act before scheduled Medicare payment cuts take effect September 19, 2026.

83% of voters relied on a lab test in the past two years to guide a medical decision

The survey found 96% of registered voters view diagnostic lab tests as important to their or their family's care, while 88% expressed concern if Medicare lab payment rates were set too low. Half of respondents said Medicare seniors, rural communities, and people managing cancer or chronic disease would be hurt most if the cuts take effect.

Washington – September 18, 2026 -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) submitted a formal comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opposing proposed payment cuts in the calendar year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, warning the changes could accelerate consolidation among independent orthopaedic practices.

AAOS demands CMS preserve current work RVUs for major joint procedures

The letter urges CMS to maintain calendar year 2026 work relative value units (RVUs) for total shoulder, total hip, and total knee arthroplasty services, along with shoulder hemiarthroplasty. AAOS argues that reducing these values would compound years of what it calls inadequate payment updates and rising practice costs.

Little Rock, Arkansas – September 17, 2026 -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) inducted Pine Bluff advocate Bob Abbott into its newly created Kidney Advocate Hall of Fame on September 10, opening the organization's 51st annual National Patient Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas.

AAKP launches inaugural Hall of Fame class at Clinton Presidential Center

The induction ceremony took place during AAKP's Policy Forum session at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, recognizing Abbott alongside medical experts, federal officials, and researchers as part of the Hall of Fame's first cohort. AAKP's tribute cited more than five decades of advocacy work by Abbott, owner and manager of Abbott Enterprises Inc. in Pine Bluff.

Berlin – – September 16, 2026 -- The Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie (BPI) will bring together four senior stakeholders from pharmacy, politics, health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry on September 16, 2026, to debate how prevention can be scaled across Germany's healthcare system.

BPI schedules prevention panel for expopharm networking breakfast

The discussion, titled "Prävention als Chance für unser Gesundheitssystem," takes place at 9:00 a.m. (doors open 8:30 a.m.) in Hall A3 of the pharmaworld area at expopharm, as part of the BPI's networking breakfast.

Pharmacist chamber pushes for pharmacies as broader health navigators

Franziska Scharpf, Vice President of the Bundesapothekerkammer, argues that pharmacies should expand their role as health navigators through screenings, pharmaceutical counseling, vaccination services and guided self-medication.

Berlin – September 14, 2026 -- Germany's largest doctors' association, the Marburger Bund, has warned lawmakers that a draft reform of emergency medical care could hand health insurers de facto control over which local emergency sites survive, ahead of a public hearing before the Bundestag's Health Committee.

Marburger Bund backs the goal of linking outpatient and inpatient emergency care but flags flaws in the bill

Dr. Susanne Johna, chairwoman of the Marburger Bund, told the committee that better integration of ambulatory and hospital-based emergency structures is needed so patients reach the appropriate care point reliably. She cautioned, however, that the current draft contains provisions that could create new operational problems in practice.