Trump administration explores deregulation of Medicare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public feedback on ways to streamline Medicare regulations and reduce administrative burdens on program stakeholders, aligning with President Trump's executive orders to eliminate administrative waste.

What happened

On April 11, 2025, CMS issued an RFI requesting public input on how to reduce regulatory burdens within the Medicare program. The agency published the request on its website rather than in the Federal Register and requires commenters to submit feedback via the website by June 10, 2025. This initiative follows Executive Order 14192, "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation," which President Trump signed on January 31, 2025. The order directs federal agencies to reduce private compliance expenditures while promoting Americans' quality of life, specifically stating that "for each new regulation issued, at least 10 prior regulations [should] be identified for elimination." CMS aims to explore deregulation opportunities while maintaining high-quality healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries. The agency appears particularly concerned with regulatory burdens affecting healthcare providers but also seeks feedback on burdens facing suppliers, beneficiaries, and Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.

Going deeper

The RFI focuses exclusively on evaluating reform of the Medicare program and structures its questions around three main categories:

1. Streamlining regulatory requirements
   • Identifying existing regulatory requirements that could be waived or modified without compromising patient safety or program integrity
   • Determining which Medicare administrative processes or reporting requirements are most burdensome for providers
   • Exploring how Medicare program administrative processes could be automated or simplified
2. Opportunities to reduce administrative burden of reporting and documentation
   • Seeking changes to simplify Medicare reporting and documentation requirements
   • Exploring opportunities to reduce reporting frequency or complexity
   • Identifying Medicare documentation or reporting requirements considered overly complex or redundant
3. Identification of duplicative requirements
   • Identifying Medicare requirements or processes that duplicate other requirements, including those from external sources like state law
   • Gathering feedback on enhancing cross-agency collaboration to reduce duplicative efforts
   • Soliciting input on harmonizing Medicare with industry best practices in areas like telemedicine, transparency, digital health, and integrated care systems
     
     

What was said

President Trump explained in Executive Order 14192: "It is important that for each new regulation issued [by a federal agency], at least 10 prior regulations [should] be identified for elimination."

Why it matters

This RFI represents a shift in Medicare regulatory approach that could substantially impact healthcare providers, suppliers, and organizations serving Medicare beneficiaries. If implemented, the proposed deregulation could potentially reduce administrative costs and streamline operations for healthcare organizations, allowing more resources to flow toward patient care.

For HIPAA-covered entities and business associates working within the Medicare system, this initiative could mean fewer overlapping compliance requirements and reduced documentation burdens. Healthcare organizations should particularly note that CMS solicits stakeholder input directly through its website rather than through traditional Federal Register channels, which may affect how broadly the agency gathers and considers public comments.

The bottom line

Healthcare organizations, providers, and other Medicare stakeholders should submit feedback through the CMS website before the June 10, 2025 deadline. This represents an opportunity to directly influence potential regulatory changes that could impact operations and compliance requirements. Organizations should evaluate their most burdensome Medicare-related processes to identify specific recommendations for streamlining or elimination.