A Request for Information (RFI) published in the June 7 Federal Register seeks comments on the structure of a workgroup to increase innovation and investment in the healthcare industry. The Immediate Office of the Secretary of HHS seeks comments on how to structure the workgroup in order to “spur investment, increase competition, accelerate innovation and allow capital investment in the healthcare sector to have a more significant impact on the health and wellbeing of Americans.”
The forum would create a mechanism for agency leadership to collaborate with:
- Healthcare innovation-focused companies;
- Healthcare startup incubators and accelerators;
- Healthcare investment professionals;
- Healthcare-focused private equity firms;
- Healthcare-focused venture capital firms; and
- Lenders to healthcare investors and innovators.
HHS seeks comments on areas of inquiry and focus for the workgroup; the structure of the workgroup including the subsectors of the healthcare economy that should participate; and opportunities for dialogue between the agency and innovators and investors in healthcare for the purposes of a durable and sustainable approach for increasing innovation and investment in healthcare.
This is the third request for information focused on healthcare innovation issued by the Trump Administration. In September 2017 the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) published an RFI requesting comments on the new direction for the center and received over 1,000 comments, which may be read here. In April, CMMI published an RFI on Direct Provider Contracting Models that would permit CMS to contract with Medicare providers and suppliers. Comments were due by May 25, 2018.
Comments must be submitted to HHS by July 9, 2018 through regulations.gov or by mailing comments to: Immediate Office of the Secretary, Office of the Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: RFI Regarding Healthcare Sector Innovation and Investment Workgroup, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.
