With 2026 underway, signs point to another year focused on enhancing health IT and digital health innovation. From new payment models to deregulatory efforts, these developments show that digital health continues to be increasingly central to the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Below are five key developments to watch unfold in the year ahead.
As healthcare organizations ring in 2026, they will also be ringing in a new era of AI regulation. With Congress yet to pass comprehensive AI legislation and federal regulatory guidance in flux, states have stepped in to fill the void. The new year will see several new laws imposing disclosure, transparency, and data protection requirements
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (“ACIP”) develops recommendations for how vaccinations are used to control disease in the United States. Earlier this month, the ACIP voted 8-3 to narrow the CDC’s guidance on newborn hepatitis B vaccination administration. Hepatitis B is an infection that causes inflammation in the
Introduction
The European Commission has published its proposals on the amendment of the Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation 2017/746 (IVDR) (“the proposals”). This marks a pivotal moment for the EU healthcare and MedTech landscape, following a public consultation by the Commission in early 2025 (see our blog here) and
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (“AI”) has spurred remarkable innovation for the healthcare industry, while also resulting in swiftly emerging regulatory frameworks. On October 13, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law California Senate Bill 243 (“SB 243”) – the first law in the nation to address the “human interface” of AI chatbots, especially
The so-called “battle of seats” in international arbitration isn’t new, spanning over half a century. Various global capitals have developed favorable legal ecosystems—either through enacting legislation ensuring legal certainty or issuing court decisions viewed as favorable towards arbitration. This competition has helped to position arbitration as the preferred mechanism for resolving cross-border disputes.[1] The
The UK government has published its first major update to the NHS Intellectual Property (IP) guidance in over two decades. Developed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the framework aims to remove long-standing barriers to innovation and
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently announced the first six participating states in the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (“WISeR”) Model that will begin on January 1, 2026: Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington.[1] As its hallmark objective, the Model aims to refine prior authorization processes for traditional fee-for-service
Welcome to the latest installment of Arnold & Porter’s Virtual and Digital Health Digest. This digest covers key virtual and digital health regulatory and public policy developments during October and early November 2025 from the the United Kingdom, and European Union.
AI-powered healthcare matching platforms are transforming how Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and physicians collaborate by using intelligent algorithms to pair providers based on specialty, location, workload, and patient demand. These technologies reduce physician shortages, improve care continuity, and streamline staffing operations across hospitals, clinics, and telehealth networks.
Introduction
Healthcare systems across the globe are facing a