Waltz Comments on Proposed Top-to-Bottom Review of HHS Regulations

Partner Judy Waltz was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article, “Top-to-Bottom Rule Review Poses Test of HHS’ Staff and Resolve,” about an ambitious plan to review all HHS regulations every decade.

Waltz, who co-chairs the firm’s health care industry team, said it’s a good thing that HHS is planning to clean out and revise its regulations, but she isn’t sure how the staff will have the time and resources necessary. “Most of these are going to have to be really deeply analyzed to see if they’re worth keeping,” she said. “It’s just a huge undertaking.”

She also said the planned review could do away with some outdated regulations, like one that requires a pathologist to review slides in a lab. The slides can now be digitized, she noted, but the regulations don’t allow a pathologist elsewhere to view them.