Public comment period opens for deregulation RFI from HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services May 13 announced a 60-day public comment period opened for stakeholders regarding its request for information to remove outdated or unnecessary regulations. The request stems from an executive order issued in January requiring HHS to implement a “10-to-1” rule, eliminating at least 10 existing regulations for every new regulation introduced. Comments on the RFI can be submitted at regulations.gov/deregulation.

The RFI follows a similar request from the Office of Management and Budget regarding deregulation, to which the AHA responded May 12. The AHA’s recommendations fell under four categories: billing, payment and other administrative requirements; quality and patient safety; telehealth; and workforce. The fiscal year 2026 inpatient prospective payment system, skilled nursing facility, inpatient rehabilitation facility, inpatient psychiatric facility and long-term care hospital payment rules also have similar regulatory relief requests for information that are due June 10.