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OMB Publishes 2026 Unified Agenda Signaling Upcoming Health Privacy and Interoperability Updates from HHS

Inside Privacy (Covington) · · International · Healthcare Privacy

The Office of Management and Budget has published its 2026 Unified Agenda, laying out the regulatory actions federal agencies plan to propose or finalize this year. Among the items flagged are several HHS rules touching on health privacy, interoperability, and data exchange.

Why this matters: Health data is among the most sensitive information the government touches. The Unified Agenda is not law — it is a preview of what agencies intend to do. But it tells you where HHS is headed on rules that govern who can access your medical records, how they move between systems, and what protections apply when they do. If you work in healthcare compliance or just have a doctor, these rules will eventually affect you. Watch this space closely, because the gap between a proposed rule and a final one is where the real fights happen.

Who should care: Healthcare professionals · Privacy officers · Compliance · Lawyers · General readers · Policy

This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.

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