Restructuring HHS
HHS announced reorganization plans that will combines personnel cuts, centralization of functions, and consolidation of their divisions.
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Posnack Named Acting Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at HHS
Steven Posnack, MS, MHS has been named Acting Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the National Coordinator for Health Information technology for the Department of Health and Human Services.
HHS: Everything Old We Want to be New Again
On February 13, 2025 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was sworn in as 26th Secretary at HHS, and following President Trump signs Executive Order to “Make America Healthy Again”. So finally we have someone that wants us to be healthy?
Not 1, Not 2, but 6 Settlements
By Matt Fisher – Prior to the changeover of the administration, the HHS Office for Civil Rights went on a bit of a HIPAA settlement bender. The fast pace of announced settlements felt a bit like a clearing of the decks. The various settlements continued recent trends around the issues being selected by OCR for settlement along with the still random amount of settlements.
Winners of the $7.25 Million KidneyX Sustainability Prize Announced
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced seven winners of the KidneyX Sustainability Prize, designed to incentivize development of solutions to reduce water or power usage during dialysis care.
Security Changes in the Wind
By Matt Fisher – On January 6, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services officially published a notice of proposed rulemaking to modify and update the HIPAA Security Rule. The timing of the proposed rule leaves any sort of immediate action with a lot of uncertainty (changing administrations bring changing priorities and delays).
HHS Releases AI Strategic Plan
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategic Plan is setting a vision for how AI can revolutionize health care, human services, and public health. Read the Strategic Plan.
OCR Proposes Measures to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Health Care Under HIPAA
The proposed rule would modify the HIPAA Security Rule to require health plans, health care clearinghouses, and most health care providers, and their business associates, to strengthen cybersecurity protections for individuals’ protected health information.
HIPAA Reproductive Healthcare Uncertainty
By Matt Fisher – 2024 cannot end without a further wrinkle on the HIPAA front. Earlier in the year, the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services modified the HIPAA Privacy Rule by adding language specific to reproductive health care and reproductive health care services.