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The Department of Health and Human Services, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has issued a final rule updating the regulations for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Endowment Programs. This rule expands eligibility for research endowment awards to include certain Health Resources and Services Administration and NIMHD centers of excellence, following the enactment of Public Law 117-104. It also changes the program's name to honor John Lewis and revises outdated regulatory references. The changes aim to improve research capacity in minority health and address health disparities while adhering to current laws and guidelines.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule amending its Uniform Administrative Requirements to realign with statutory nondiscrimination provisions stated by Congress, thus significantly altering previous regulations. This rule focuses on requiring recipients of HHS awards to adhere to applicable federal statutory nondiscrimination laws and ensures compliance with relevant Supreme Court decisions. The action also addresses concerns that previous rules might violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by causing undue burdens on religious organizations. This change aims to provide clarity and stability for grantees, while planning to avoid issues related to RFRA compliance.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing a rule to exempt certain Whole Health well-being services from copayment requirements for Veterans. These services include education and skill-building programs, and complementary and integrative health services like yoga and meditation, provided within the VA Whole Health System of Care. By removing copayments, the aim is to encourage more Veterans to engage in these services, which focus on overall well-being rather than specific medical conditions. The public can submit their comments on this proposal by March 4, 2025.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has introduced the 2024 Public Access Policy, which enhances public access to scholarly publications resulting from NIH-funded research. This policy mandates that authors submit their accepted manuscripts to PubMed Central, a digital archive, making them freely accessible without an embargo period starting December 31, 2025. The aim is to foster transparency, encourage collaboration, and ensure the public can engage with the latest scientific findings. The policy is grounded in feedback and is consistent with federal expectations for open access to taxpayer-funded research.

The Health and Human Services Department has released a final rule aimed at enhancing access to electronic health information while addressing concerns about privacy and legal implications for patients and providers, especially concerning reproductive health care. This rule refines existing information blocking exceptions and introduces a new "Protecting Care Access Exception," allowing health care providers to withhold certain sensitive information to avoid potential legal risks related to seeking, obtaining, or providing lawful reproductive health care. The rule aims to protect patient trust and ensure that health care providers continue to use digital records, thus avoiding a return to paper methods that could hinder patient care and health IT advancements. Additionally, it emphasizes that if any part of this rule is legally challenged, the remaining provisions will still stand.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend its Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) to align with changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and to streamline internal procedures. The updates aim to simplify procurement processes for health-care resources by removing outdated policies and incorporating new ones, reducing redundancy, and lessening the burden on contractors. Key changes include revisions to parts of VAAR and VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), focusing on simplifying acquisition procedures for health-care resources. The public is invited to submit comments on the proposed rule changes by March 22, 2021.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking comments on a proposal to extend the use of the Health Insurance Claim Form. This effort is part of an ongoing initiative to reduce paperwork and make the process easier for respondents, aligning with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The form, identified as OWCP-1500, is used to collect necessary information to pay health care providers for services to injured workers covered under various compensation programs. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments, and all submissions will be publicly accessible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has announced funding awards to support public health initiatives in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The awards, totaling approximately $32.5 million over five years, aim to improve disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health preparedness in these countries. Each recipient government entity will use the funds to enhance laboratory systems, emergency management, and training of health professionals to better handle health crises. The program is designed to strengthen global health security by building capacity within these countries to quickly detect and respond to public health threats.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a consent agreement with Flo Health, Inc., a company accused of sharing users' menstrual and fertility data without their consent, violating laws against deceptive business practices. Flo Health had promised users their information would remain private but allegedly shared it with third parties like Facebook and Google. The proposed order, open for public comment, requires Flo Health to improve its privacy practices, notify users of the data sharing, and obtain users' express consent before sharing personal health information again. Additionally, there's a debate among FTC commissioners about whether further enforcement actions, such as applying the Health Breach Notification Rule, should be taken against Flo Health.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) have finalized a rule to enhance the exchange of health information across networks. This rule establishes the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which sets guidelines and standards for networks known as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) to facilitate seamless and secure data sharing. The rule outlines specific requirements for becoming a QHIN, procedures for onboarding, and processes for dealing with suspensions and terminations. It also ensures that QHINs can voluntarily attest to adopting TEFCA and establishes a directory to list organizations that meet the standards for trusted health information exchange.