The new 116th Congress opens on Thursday January 3, 2019, with the Democrats in charge of the House of Representatives and the Republicans in charge of the Senate.

Today, the federal judge hearing the Texas v. United States (a/k/a US v. Azar) case decided “In accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b), the Court therefore DECLARES that 26 U.S.C. § 5000A(a) [the ACA’s individual shared responsibility [a/k/a individual mandate] provision is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and INSEVERABLE from the remainder of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119-1045 (2010).” The Court also stayed his partial final judgment pending appeals. Next stop is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services ‘released the “Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP): Managing Threats and Protecting Patients” publication. The four volume publication, aims to provide voluntary cybersecurity practices to healthcare organizations of all types and sizes, ranging from local clinics to large hospital systems.” Check it out.