Department of Health and Human Services 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) is seeking public comments to assist the IACC in identifying priorities for the 2021-2022 update of the IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as required by the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2019. The IACC is requesting public comments on research, services, and policy issues related to the seven topics addressed by the IACC Strategic Plan: Screening and Diagnosis, Biology, Risk Factors, Treatments and Interventions, Services, Lifespan Issues, and Infrastructure and Surveillance. The IACC is also requesting information on two additional issues related to autism described in two supplemental questions that are included in this Request for Public Comment.

This document sets forth interim final rules implementing certain provisions of the No Surprises Act, which was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. These interim final rules implement provisions of the No Surprises Act that provide for a Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) (Federal IDR) process to permit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage and nonparticipating providers, facilities, and providers of air ambulance services to determine the out-of-network rate for items and services that are emergency services, nonemergency services furnished by nonparticipating providers at participating facilities, and air ambulance services furnished by nonparticipating providers of air ambulance services, under certain circumstances. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) are issuing these interim final rules with largely parallel provisions that apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage and certified IDR entities, providers, facilities, and providers of air ambulance services. In addition to the interim final rules issued jointly by the Departments, this document also includes interim final rules issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to clarify how certain No Surprises Act provisions apply to health benefits plans offered by carriers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Act. In addition to the interim final rules issued jointly by the Departments and OPM, this document includes interim final rules issued by HHS that address good faith estimates of health care items and services for uninsured or self-pay individuals and the associated patient-provider dispute resolution process. The HHS-only interim final rules apply to selected dispute resolution (SDR) entities, providers, facilities, and providers of air ambulance services.

The National Cancer Institute, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an Exclusive Patent License to practice the inventions embodied in the Patents and Patent Applications listed in the Supplementary Information section of this Notice to Ares Immunotherapy, Inc. (``Ares''), a Delaware corporation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is withdrawing the notice that published in the Federal Register of September 30, 2021, that announced the issuance of a priority review voucher to the sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application. The Federal Register notice was published in error and is being withdrawn.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the CDC announces the following meeting for the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). This virtual meeting is open to the public, limited only by audio and web conference lines (300 audio and web conference lines are available). Registration is required. To register for this web conference, please go to: www.cdc.gov/hicpac. All registered participants will receive the meeting link and instructions shortly before the meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry (GFI) #268 entitled ``Adaptive and Other Innovative Designs for Effectiveness Studies of New Animal Drugs.'' The guidance describes FDA's current thinking with respect to assisting sponsors in incorporating complex adaptive and other novel investigation designs into proposed clinical investigation protocols and applications for new animal drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry (GFI) #266 entitled ``Use of Real-World Data and Real-World Evidence to Support Effectiveness of New Animal Drugs.'' The guidance describes FDA's current thinking with respect to assisting sponsors in incorporating real-world data and real-world evidence (including ongoing surveillance activities, observational studies, and registry data) into proposed clinical investigation protocols and applications for new animal drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

This rule adopts as final the provision to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) to establish parameters by which ACF may make designation renewal determinations during a federally declared major disaster, emergency, or public health emergency (PHE) and in the absence of all normally required data.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule to establish requirements for the medical device De Novo classification process under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This final rule establishes procedures and criteria related to requests for De Novo classification (``De Novo request'') and provides a pathway to obtain marketing authorization as a class I or class II device and for certain combination products. These requirements are intended to ensure the most appropriate classification of devices consistent with the protection of the public health and the statutory scheme for device regulation. They are also intended to limit the unnecessary expenditure of FDA and industry resources that may occur if devices for which general controls or general and special controls provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness are subject to premarket approval. The final rule implements the De Novo classification process under the FD&C Act, as enacted by the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA) and modified by the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) and the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act).

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces the Secretary's National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS) has scheduled a public meeting. Information about NACRHHS and the agenda for this meeting can be found on the NACRHHS website at https://www.hrsa.gov/advisory-committees/rural-health/index.h tml.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, us, or we) is issuing a final rule that sets forth requirements for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) and requires manufacturers to maintain records establishing that their tobacco products are legally marketed. The rule will help ensure that PMTAs contain sufficient information for FDA to determine whether a marketing granted order should be issued for a new tobacco product. The rule codifies the general procedures FDA will follow when evaluating PMTAs and creates postmarket reporting requirements for applicants that receive marketing granted orders. The rule also requires tobacco product manufacturers to keep records establishing that their tobacco products are legally marketed, such as documents showing that a tobacco product is not required to undergo premarket review or has received premarket authorization.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is issuing this final rule to provide additional information on the content and format of reports intended to demonstrate the substantial equivalence of a tobacco product (SE Reports). The final rule also establishes the general procedures FDA intends to follow when evaluating SE Reports, including procedures that address communications with the applicant and the confidentiality of data in an SE Report. The final rule will provide applicants with more certainty and clarity related to preparing and submitting SE Reports.