WASHINGTON, June 7 -- 3M Company of St. Paul, Minnesota submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opposing a proposal to remove the compliance deadline for installing personal fall arrest or ladder safety systems on fixed ladders higher than 24 feet. The deadline, set for November 18, 2036, is part of 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(9)(i)(D). 3M advocates maintaining the existing regulatory language to enhance worker safety. The company emphasized that  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, submitted a public comment letter to the United States Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) addressing the agency's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on establishing user fees for the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS). AAMVA, the nonprofit entity that operates and maintains CDLIS on behalf of FMCSA, provided detailed feedback on the proposed  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Academy of Physician Associates, based in Alexandria, Virginia, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) proposed rule. The letter outlines recommendations aimed at improving patient experience, enhancing regulatory efficiency, and expanding the role of physician assistants/physician associates (PAs) in SNF care under the U.S. Depart  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 updates to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS), Quality Reporting Program (QRP), and Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. The letter addresses concerns about payment methodologies, coding classifications, quality measure pro  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- AARP submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlining key recommendations on the Fiscal Year 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and related Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements. The organization advocates for 125 million Americans age 50 and older and their families, emphasizing the importance of compassionate, high-quality hospice care for beneficiaries during challenging times. In the letter, written by Me  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- AbbVie Inc., headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the agency's request for information on advancing the use of digital health technologies (DHTs) in clinical investigations for drugs and biological products. The pharmaceutical company highlighted several regulatory challenges and proposed key priorities to support broader and more efficient adoption of digital health tools in drug deve  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the Medicare Program's Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Fiscal Year 2027 and updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program. The organization highlighted concerns about CMS's proposed one-hour initial interdisciplinary team (IDT) meeting intended to cover about twelve pati  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- AdventHealth, headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) requirements. The letter outlines AdventHealth's perspectives on several aspects of the proposed rule (CMS-1851-P) and offers recommendations aimed at enhancing hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries. The letter,   more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- ADVION, a nonprofit advocacy organization representing ancillary care and services providers in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) sectors, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing the Fiscal Year 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) Proposed Rule. ADVION's letter focused on several critical areas: the market basket update, the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Advocate Health, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the agency's Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 proposed rule for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS). The nonprofit integrated health system provided extensive feedback on payment updates, regulatory proposals, and quality repo  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Aegis Therapies, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a bureau within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regarding proposed updates to the Medicare Program's Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). The letter, signed by Mark Besch, senior specialist for government affairs, addresses key aspects of the proposed rule  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has submitted a public comment letter to the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) of the U.S. Department of Labor opposing the agency's notice of proposed rulemaking on fiduciary duties in selecting designated investment alternatives for participant-directed retirement plans, such as 401(k)s. In the letter, Dalia R. Thornton, Director, Department of Research and Collective, Bargaining Services, A  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the agency's Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 6-Draft. AHAM provided detailed input on issues related to microplastic pollution, particularly microfibers released during laundry, and the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in household appliances. The comments address  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Institute of CPAs, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury addressing the agency's proposed rule on broad-based principles for determining whether state-level regulatory regimes for permitted payment stablecoin issuers are substantially similar to the federal framework. The letter, written by Susan S. Coffey, Chief Executive Officer - Public Accounting, supports Treasury's implementatio  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, based in Chicago, Illinois, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility prospective payment system proposed rule. The letter focuses on the agency's request for information on potential quality measure concepts for the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP), particularly an advance care planning (ACP) measure. The lett  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Hospital Association submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's proposed fiscal year 2027 inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system (PPS) rule. Representing nearly 5,000 hospitals and health systems nationwide, including approximately 900 IRFs, the AHA expresses multiple concerns related to payment updates, regulatory documentation requirements, future payment reforms,   more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed updates to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) for federal fiscal year 2027. AOTA, representing over 244,000 occupational therapy professionals, addressed various payment and policy proposals outlined in CMS-1845-P. In the letter, writt  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation, an alliance of over 50 consumer, clinician, and membership organizations, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) proposed rule. The letter addressed key proposals impacting IRF coverage and documentation requirements, Quality Reporting Program (QRP) timelines, Durable Medical Equipme  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements. C-TAC, a national nonprofit coalition dedicated to enhancing care for individuals with serious illness, offered detailed feedback on proposals affecting patients with complex needs. The coalition, in the letter written by Marian G  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Teresa Ghilarducci, an economics professor at the New School for Social Research in New York, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration expressing strong concerns about the inclusion of cryptocurrency and digital assets in ERISA-governed retirement plans. Ghilarducci urges the department to maintain heightened scrutiny under ERISA's prudence obligations when evaluating cryptocurrency investments within partic  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Two law professors from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, and the Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina, have submitted a joint public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor addressing a proposal on fiduciary duties related to selecting designated investment alternatives in 401(k) plans, specifically focusing on private markets access. The professors, who supported their case by noting they recently completed an academic paper entitled "Privat  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Florida Hospital Association, based in Tampa, Florida, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the agency's proposed amendments to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System and Quality Reporting Program for Fiscal Year 2027. The association, representing more than 260 hospitals and health systems including 54 inpatient rehabilitation facilities, voiced support for some initiatives but expressed  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Greater New York Hospital Association submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services addressing the agency's proposed rule for the Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS). The letter focuses on CMS's inquiry about creating an IRF-specific wage index using alternative data sources. The letter, written by Elisabeth Wynn, Executive Vice President, expressed strong reservations about CMS's c  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), a comprehensive health care network based in Iselin, New Jersey, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing the agency's proposed rule CMS-1845-P concerning the Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for federal fiscal year 2027. The letter outlines HMH's concerns regarding the proposed payment update and wage index policies for IRFs and adv  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Healthcare Nutrition Council submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed updates to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) for Fiscal Year 2027 and changes to the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). The organization, representing manufacturers of enteral, oral, and parenteral nutrition products, emphasized the critical role of nutrition interventions in improving pati  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Massachusetts Head Start Association, Lynn, Massachusetts, submitted a public comment letter to the Office of Head Start within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter responds to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning restoring flexibility in program access and highlights urgent concerns about the compensation and stability of the Head Start workforce. MHSA emphasized the chronic underpayment of Head Start educators compared to public school c  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Michigan Health & Hospital Association, headquartered in Okemos, Michigan, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's proposed rule to update the Medicare inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system (PPS) for fiscal year 2027. The letter expresses multiple concerns about the proposal's potential impact on IRF providers in Michigan and nationwide. The letter, written by Vickie  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Missouri Hospital Association, headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the proposed updates to the Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System and IRF Quality Reporting Program for fiscal year 2027. The letter raises concerns about reimbursement rates, data submission timelines, quality reporting requirements, and the methodology for calculating  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Marla J. Kreindler, a partner at Morgan Lewis and Bockius LLP, Chicago, Illinois, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of an unspecified client supporting the agency's proposed fiduciary-duty framework for selecting investment alternatives in defined-contribution retirement plans while urging clarifications to ensure plan fiduciaries retain flexibility when evaluating alternative assets, managed accounts and professionally managed inve  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The New Jersey Hospital Association, headquartered in Princeton, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's proposed updates to the Medicare Program's Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for federal fiscal year 2027 and modifications to the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). NJHA represents over 400 member hospitals, including all of New Jersey's inpatient rehabilitati  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- PAM Health, a post-acute care provider headquartered in Nashville Tennessee operating 48 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and 25 long-term acute care hospitals across 14 states, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the FY 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) proposed rule. The letter, written by Anthony F. Misitano, Chairman and CEO, addresses several provisions including  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- Lisa Cox, Vice President of Operations at Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care in Piscataway, New Jersey, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the FY 2027 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System proposed rule. The letter expresses concerns about the proposed Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Patient Assessment Instrument, urging CMS to reconsider its finalization and implementation schedul  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State, headquartered in Hauppauge, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expressing concerns about the agency's proposed inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system rule for federal fiscal year 2027. The organization criticized the proposed 3.2 percent market basket update as insufficient amid rising inflationary pressures on labor, pharmaceuticals, energy, and su  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Tennessee Hospital Association (THA), headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 updates to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) and related quality reporting requirements. The letter, authored by Rodney R. Adams, senior vice president for finance and reimbursement on behalf of over 160 healthcare facility  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Texas Hospital Association (THA), headquartered in Austin, Texas, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) critiquing the agency's proposed updates to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) for fiscal year 2027. The letter expresses concerns over several CMS proposals that THA believes could adversely affect inpatient rehabilitation facilities and the broader healthcare system. The l  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding a proposed rule for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System and related quality reporting updates. U of U Health letter was written by David P. Steinberg, a professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Steinberg is also executive director and physician-in-chief of the Craig H. Neils  more

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, based in Glen Allen, Virginia, submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) Proposed Rule (CMS-1845-P). VHHA's members include 26 health systems with 117 hospitals across Virginia, encompassing community, psychiatric, rehabilitation, and specialty hospitals. In the letter written by   more