HHS proposes cutting 34 of 60 health IT certification criteria, including AI model cards
On December 22, 2025, HHS's Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator (ASTP/ONC) proposed the HTI-5 rule. It would remove 34 of the 60 criteria in the ONC Health IT Certification Program and revise 7 others. One revision cuts back the Biden-era 'model card' transparency requirements for AI decision support tools in certified EHRs. The rule would also change the information blocking rules: it adds 'autonomous AI systems' to the definitions of access and use, drops the TEFCA manner exception, and narrows exceptions that let EHR developers limit third-party access. HHS estimates savings of $1.53 billion, and the rule was opened for 60 days of public comment.
Why it's notable: The certification program defines what every certified EHR must do, so this changes which features vendors are required to keep and how much they must disclose about the AI built into them. The information blocking changes are aimed at making it harder for EHR vendors to shut out AI tools and third-party apps that want patient data.