Dept. of Health & Human Services Plan for Retrospective Review of Existing Rules (2011)
Executive Order 1356, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,” was issued by the president to set administration regulatory priorities and emphasize the importance of a streamlined, effective, efficient regulatory framework to achieve economic growth, investment flows, job-creation, and competition. The order asks federal agencies to analyze and eliminate rules that are no longer justified and to strengthen, complement, and modernize rules where appropriate. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is specifically asked to review the following categories of regulations:
• Revisions intended to increase flexibility for the regulated community
• Revisions intended to reduce burdens
• Rescissions or revisions to streamline the regulatory process
• Revisions that may increase benefits or reduce costs
• Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) that may not proceed to final rules
• Interim final rules that may be rescinded
In response to this mandate, HHS issued a request for information on its “Preliminary Plan for Retrospective Review of Existing Regulations,” which was published in the Federal Register on June 6, 2011 at 76 Fed. Reg. 32330. AOTA subsequently submitted a comment letter (members-only), and HHS recently released its resulting Plan for Retrospective Review of Existing Rules (August 22, 2011). Areas of interest to occupational therapy practitioners include: telemedicine, electronic health records (EHRs), health professional shortages, patient access, conditions of participation (COPs) for hospitals, Medicare/Medicaid alignment, beneficiary notice requirements, quality reporting, and state funding. AOTA is monitoring plans and will report more fully on each issue as proposed rules are published in the Federal Register in the weeks and months ahead.
