To let hospitals bypass the government bureaucracy to provide services more efficiently.
Obama declares H1N1 emergency - CNN.com
"Another administration official said the move is "not tied to the current case count" and "gives the federal government more power to help states" by
lifting bureaucratic requirements -- both in treating patients and moving equipment to where it's most needed.
The officials didn't want their names used because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Obama's action allows Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements" to help health care facilities enact emergency plans to deal with the pandemic.
Those requirements are contained in Medicare, Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance programs, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule."
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