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October 30, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Government

NC Bill Caps Hospital CEO Pay, Drops Merger Oversight

By Healthcare Technology News ·

A North Carolina Senate committee is moving to limit hospital executive pay while easing scrutiny of consolidation. According to Becker's Hospital Review, the Senate Health Care Committee endorsed Senate Bill 978 on June 11, keeping a cap on hospital CEO compensation but removing a provision that could have affected a proposed health system combination.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, amended the bill to drop the merger-related language. That change matters in practice: it signals lawmakers are willing to target what executives earn without adding new state review of how hospitals merge, two issues that often travel together in debates over healthcare costs and market power.

For hospital systems and their boards, the bill reflects rising political pressure on nonprofit pay packages, which critics argue clash with tax-exempt missions. The decision to scrap merger oversight, however, suggests consolidation in the state will continue to face fewer obstacles. The legislation still needs to clear the full Senate and House before becoming law.

Sources

More in Government

Government

Medicare Rule Could Cut Remote Patient Monitoring Access

A proposed CMS rule could sharply reduce Medicare reimbursement for remote patient monitoring, threatening access for rural and chronically ill patients.

Why it matters: Remote monitoring has become a fast-growing, loosely overseen Medicare service, and changing how it pays could reshape home-based care for millions.

Government

HHS Launches National Plan to Overhaul US Kidney Care

HHS launched a national kidney care plan centered on prevention, dialysis reform with more patient choice, and overhauling the transplant system.

Why it matters: Kidney disease affects 1 in 7 US adults and drives major Medicare spending, so federal direction here reshapes care models and markets.

Government

FDA Approves First Once-Weekly Insulin for Children

The FDA approved Novo Nordisk's Awiqli, the first once-weekly basal insulin for children 10 and older with Type 2 diabetes.

Why it matters: Weekly rather than daily insulin could improve adherence for a growing number of children with Type 2 diabetes.