The Trump administration wants to require the Department of Health and Human Services to review most of its regulations by 2023 and automatically void those not assessed in time.
A proposed rule would require HHS to analyze within 24 months about 2,400 regulations rules that affect tens of millions of Americans on everything from Medicare benefits to prescription drug approvals.
Advertisement:
The move has met a fierce backlash from health providers and consumer advocates who fear it would hamstring federal health officials while they seek to control the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 250,000 Americans.
The HHS proposal appears designed to tie up the incoming Biden administration, say critics. They note the timing of the proposal, which was issued Nov. 4 the day after Election Day, when it appeared President Donald Trump would likely lose his bid for a second term.
Rachel Bluth and Phil Galewitz
California Healthline
With front-line health workers and nursing home residents and staff expected to get the initial doses of COVID vaccines, the thornier question is figuring out who goes next.
The answer will likely depend on where you live.
While an influential federal advisory board is expected to make its recommendations later this month, state health departments and governors will make the call on who gets access to a limited number of vaccines this winter.
As a result, it’s been a free-for-all in recent weeks as manufacturers, grocers, bank tellers, dentists and drive-share companies all jostle to get a spot near the front of the line.
Businesses in the country step up push to get their workers higher up the list
Ahead of shipments of Pfizer s coronavirus vaccine arriving at US hospitals from Monday, calls have been made for diverse workers-from Uber drivers and bank tellers to pharmacists and makers of household goods like toilet paper-to be considered essential service providers entitled to early doses. Everybody believes that their own workers should be first in line for vaccine doses, said Jeff Levin-Scherz, co-leader of Willis Towers Watson s health management practice.
An expert panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week overwhelmingly recommended that the first doses go to the nation s 21 million healthcare workers and 3 million residents of long-term care facilities. They fall into what has been called Phase 1a of distribution of the vaccine, which Pfizer developed with BioNTech.
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, Oct 30, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
As shipments of Pfizer s coronavirus vaccine begin arriving at hospitals in the United States on Monday, businesses and professional groups are lobbying to be considered essential to get early doses. Everybody believes that their own workers should be first in line for vaccine doses, said Jeff Levin-Scherz, co-leader of health-management practice at Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory, broking and solutions company.
Last week, a panel of experts advising the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overwhelmingly recommended that the first doses go to the nation s 21 million healthcare workers and 3 million residents of long-term care facilities, who are in the Phase 1a category.
Republished with permission from Kaiser Health News.
With front-line health workers and nursing home residents and staff expected to get the initial doses of COVID vaccines, the thornier question is figuring out who goes next.
The answer will likely depend on where you live.
While an influential federal advisory board is expected to make its recommendations later this month, state health departments and governors will make the call on who gets access to a limited number of vaccines this winter.
As a result, it’s been a free-for-all in recent weeks as manufacturers, grocers, bank tellers, dentists and drive-share companies all jostle to get a spot near the front of the line.