Federal Government Officials Drop out of HIMSS Health Information Conference

Several federal health officials have withdrawn from the upcoming HIMSS Health Information Conference in Las Vegas due to a pause on external event travel. This includes representatives from key agencies such as the FDA, OIG, CMS, CDC, ARPA-H, and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. A panel discussing fraud prevention in Medicare telehealth and remote patient monitoring, featuring two officials from the Office of the Inspector General, has been canceled. The decision impacts at least 46 scheduled federal participants, with 28 confirmed cancellations. The absence of these officials raises concerns about transparency and regulatory discussions in health tech. An OIG spokesperson confirmed the travel restrictions, affecting key sessions on healthcare policy and digital innovation.