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The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Community Living, has announced funding to improve Adult Protective Services (APS) in response to COVID-19. This funding, sourced from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, aims to enhance APS in areas like remote work, scam response, and community outreach. States must submit a Letter of Assurance and an Initial Spend Plan by March 3, 2021, to receive their portion of the $93,880,000 available. The grants will be distributed based on the proportion of elderly individuals in each state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued an order requiring everyone to wear masks on all forms of public transportation and at transportation hubs within the United States. This measure aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a virus that is easily transmitted through respiratory droplets. The mask requirement applies to all travelers, operators, and anybody present in transportation hubs, with certain exemptions for young children and individuals with specific disabilities. This order is intended to help control the pandemic and support public health response efforts across various governmental levels.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are proposing to permanently waive certain premarket notification requirements for specific medical devices. This action follows temporary waivers provided during the COVID-19 pandemic to make medical devices more accessible. The proposal includes making seven class I devices and 84 class II devices permanently exempt from the 510(k) premarket notification requirement, which typically involves a costly and time-consuming process. The public is invited to comment on the proposed exemptions and suggest improvements to the regulatory system concerning medical devices.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule to modify the Vaccine Injury Table, which relates to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). This new rule removes Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) and vasovagal syncope from the list of injuries eligible for compensation under the VICP. Some members of the public opposed the change, expressing concerns about safety and potential impacts on liability for vaccine administrators. However, HHS argued that these injuries are often due to improper administration techniques rather than the content of the vaccines themselves, and stated that this change aims to ensure that funds are directed to injuries directly caused by vaccines.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is establishing a new system of records to maintain child abuse and neglect investigation records for the Office of Refugee Resettlement's Unaccompanied Children Bureau. The rule exempts this system from certain Privacy Act requirements, like disclosure and access rights, to protect the integrity of investigations and secure sensitive information. HHS explains that these exemptions are necessary to prevent interference with investigations, safeguard the identities of children and informants, and maintain the effectiveness of investigative techniques. The rule will be effective by February 6, 2025, unless adverse comments are received by January 22, 2025.

In January 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services published new rules about expanding telemedicine practices. These rules were supposed to take effect on February 18, 2025, but have been delayed to March 21, 2025. This delay aligns with a Presidential order for a "Regulatory Freeze Pending Review," allowing more time for feedback on the rules. The rules allow certain medical professionals to prescribe medications via telemedicine, even without an initial in-person visit, under specific conditions. Public comments about this delay are encouraged, focusing on potential policy, legal, and factual issues.

The final rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury Department provides new guidelines for implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It includes plans for reducing user fees for issuers using federal platforms in 2022 and introduces a new direct enrollment option allowing states more flexibility in how they facilitate health insurance plans through private entities. Additionally, the rule seeks to ensure that State Innovation Waivers can be more predictable by codifying policies into regulations, offering states more room for innovation while ensuring the availability of affordable health coverage. The rule clarifies that plans without provider networks are exempt from network adequacy certification while maintaining their other requirements.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), via the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has amended a regulation regarding clinical trials. This change updates the web address in the regulation concerning where to find information about submitting trial data to ClinicalTrials.gov. The new rule removes the old URL https://prsinfo.clinicaltrials.gov and replaces it with https://clinicaltrials.gov or a future site, modernizing and centralizing information access. This amendment is technical and does not add new requirements for affected parties.