FTC creates health care task force

On March 20, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the formation of a new Healthcare Task Force aimed at strengthening oversight, enforcement, and policy coordination across the health care industry to help protect American patients, health care workers, and taxpayers. In a directive issued by Chairman Andrew Ferguson, the agency is bringing together its Bureaus of Competition, Consumer Protection, and Economics, along with the Offices of Policy Planning and Technology, to establish a more unified and strategic approach to health care regulation and enforcement.

Key functions of the FTC Healthcare Task Force will include leading relevant enforcement and advocacy initiatives, sharing resources and coordinating investigation strategies across bureaus, and identifying emerging issues to prioritize. The Task Force will expand in the future to adopt members from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, among other potential partners.

The announcement comes as the Trump Administration makes fraud detection and prevention a major cornerstone of its health care agenda.