• District of Columbia: The Consumer Federal Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Tuesday issued new regulations that prohibit medical debt from being included on consumers' credit reports. CFPB's new regulations also prevent lenders from using medical information when assessing borrowers. "People who get sick shouldn't have their financial future upended," said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. "The CFPB's final rule will close a special carveout that has allowed debt collectors to abuse the credit reporting system to coerce people into paying medical bills they may not even owe." According to CFPB, the new regulations could increase the credit scores of people with medical debt on their credit reports by an average of 20 points. (Levey, KFF Health News, 1/7)
• Maryland: FDA recently released new guidance aimed at reducing lead levels in processed baby food, including jarred fruits and vegetables, yogurts, and dry cereal. Under the new guidelines, manufacturers should have no more than 10 to 20 parts per billion of lead in their baby food products, depending on what kind of foods they are. According to FDA, the final guidance could reduce lead exposure in processed baby foods by an estimated 20% to 30%. Although the new limits are voluntary for manufacturers, FDA can take enforcement action if foods exceed the limits. Consumer advocates have welcomed the new guidance, but some said they did not go far enough. "FDA's actions today are a step forward and will help protect children," said Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "However, the agency took too long to act and ignored important public input that could have strengthened these standards." (Aleccia, Associated Press, 1/6; LaMotte, CNN, 1/6)
• Michigan: Stryker on Monday announced plans to acquire Inari Medical in a deal valued at $4.9 billion. The deal, which was approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter and will help Stryker strengthen its position in the peripheral vascular market. According to Stryker, Inari Medical's medical device products are "highly complementary" to the company's neurovascular business. Stryker's acquisition of Inari will help the company expand its footprint and accelerate the development of "innovative new solutions," said Inari CEO Drew Hykes. (Dubinsky, Modern Healthcare, 1/7)

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