Health and Human Services Department Final Rule

2021-21457: Implementation of Executive Order on Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications; Rescission of Regulation

Get alerted when the next rule lands

New rules open for comment on their own schedule. Pick how you want to hear about them — we email you when one appears.

Alert me on new Health and Human Services Department rules or alert me on a subject

Publishing to members? Embed a live rule tracker on your own site — the proposed rules in your area and the comment deadlines closing on them, updating themselves. Free, one line of HTML.

Create a free account & build one →

Summary

HHS is rescinding the final rule entitled "Implementation of Executive Order on Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications," published in the December 23, 2020, Federal Register (2020 Rule). HHS is rescinding the 2020 Rule due to the excessive administrative costs and burdens that implementation would have imposed on health centers. In particular, the 2020 Rule required health centers to create and maintain new practices necessary to determine patients' eligibility to receive certain drugs at or below the discounted price paid by the health center or subgrantees plus a minimal administration fee. HHS finds the 2020 Rule's implementation would have resulted in reduced resources available to support critical services to health center patients--including those who use insulin and injectable epinephrine. HHS's consideration of the 2020 Rule's impact was informed, in part, by the demands on health centers resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As Executive Order 13937 remains in effect, HHS is exploring non- regulatory options to implement the Executive Order.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

Don't miss the comment window

One Click Politics alerts you on every deadline, hearing, and rule change.

See all rules with comments due soon →