Regulatory Updates

Dr. Oz Confirmed as CMS Administrator. Mehmet Oz, MD was confirmed by the Senate as the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with a party line vote of 53-45. Dr. Oz is a television personality, physician, author, and professor emeritus of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University. As the head of CMS, Dr.…

HHS Secretary Announces Department Reorganization. In a press release, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a restructuring in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.” The Department estimates the restructuring will save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year…

President Trump Nominates Sean Plankey as New CISA Director. Reuters reported that President Donald Trump nominated Sean Plankey to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Plankey has experience working for the U.S. government, including his cybersecurity support to U.S. forces deployed in Afghanistan, then worked at U.S. Cyber Command, the U.S. Coast Guard,…

Senate Committees Votes to Move RFK Nomination Forward for Full Senate Vote. The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines to advance President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing on Jan. 29. View the…

Senate Committees Hold HHS Secretary Confirmation Hearings. Two Senate Committees conducted confirmation hearings for President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing on Jan. 29. View the hearing here. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions…

Date Announced for HHS Secretary Confirmation Senate Hearing. The Senate Committee on Finance announced that a hearing entitled “Hearing to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services” has been scheduled for 10 am ET on January 29. Go here to review the statements from…

OCR Settles HIPAA Phishing Cybersecurity Investigation for $3M. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement with a supplier and direct-to-patient distributor of continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and other supplies to diabetics, concerning potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule and Breach Notification Rule following a breach of electronic protected health information (ePHI)…

OCR Releases New HIPAA Proposed Rule Focused on Cybersecurity. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has released a proposed rule that seeks to improve cybersecurity and better protect the health care system from cyberattacks. The proposed rule would modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule to require HIPAA covered…

CMS Proposal Includes Changes to MA Plan HIT Policy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care…

President-Elect Trump Taps Dr. Mehmet Oz to head CMS. President-Elect Donald Trump has nominated Mehmet Oz, M.D. to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, television personality, and Professor Emeritus at Columbia University. Dr. Oz is expected to go before the U.S. Senate for confirmation.   OCR Imposes…