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10.30.26
HTI-5 and the Shifting Role of Health IT Certification
On October 28, 2026, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published its HTI-5 final rule, scaling back portions of the ONC Health IT Certification Program by removing 14 certification criteria and revising seven. While this is a significant change, it is only a portion of the criteria that were proposed for removal.
Podcasts
10.28.26
Writing Privacy Rules Patients Can Trust
On October 28, partner Jodi Daniel was featured on the Surescripts podcast There’s a Better Way: Smart Talk on Healthcare and Technology. In the episode, Jodi discusses her background as a federal health policymaker and how she helped write the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule that protects patient data.
Client Highlights
10.15.26
Wilson Sonsini Advises Readily on $11 Million Series A
On October 13, 2026, Readily, an AI-native compliance intelligence platform for healthcare, announced $11 million in Series A financing led by Define Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator and the California Health Care Foundation Innovation Fund. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Readily on the transaction.
Client Highlights
9.23.26
Firm Advises Ayble Health on $16 Million Series A
On September 16, 2026, Ayble Health, the nation's leading AI-enabled virtual multidisciplinary GI clinic, announced the close of a $16 million oversubscribed Series A round led by Neon, with participation from Unum Ventures, Upfront Ventures, M13, Cleveland Clinic Ventures, DigiTx, Accomplice, and several individual strategic investors. The round brings Ayble's total capital raised to over $27 million. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Ayble on the transaction.
Client Highlights
9.23.26
Wilson Sonsini Advises Ferry Health on $9 Million Fundraise as Company Emerges from Stealth
On September 16, 2026, Ferry Health, an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) platform supporting patients in administrative tasks, launched out of stealth, raising $9 million in seed funding from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Index Ventures, Avid Ventures, Layout Ventures, SV Angel, Box Group, and Asymmetric Capital, as well as Jay Desai and the founders of Grow Therapy, Hex, and Chapter. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Ferry on the fundraising transactions.
Client Advisories
9.22.26
Evolving Expectations for AI in Mental Health
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled mental health products are becoming more ubiquitous with many individuals turning to chatbots, digital companions, coaching tools, and other AI systems for mental health support. They are also attracting increased attention from regulators, policymakers, and courts. As discussed in our previous client alert, Legal Framework for AI in Mental Healthcare, these products already fall within a patchwork of federal and state regulatory frameworks. Recent developments suggest government scrutiny of the sector is likely to continue increasing, including recent actions by agencies, state laws, and emerging litigation. For companies developing AI-enabled mental health products, key considerations may include medical device regulation, emerging state AI laws, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversight of health-related claims, privacy, transparency and health data use, and potential liability theories, including the unauthorized practice of medicine or psychology.
Alerts
8.18.26
CMS Proposes Changes to Incentivize FHIR-enabled Electronic Prior Authorization Use
On July 14, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. The proposed rule includes modifications to further incentivize the use of electronic prior authorization in Medicare Ambulatory Specialty Models (ASMs) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) by health care providers. This builds on prior CMS regulations related to prior authorization which imposed requirements on certain health plans, but not on health care providers (see 2024 CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization final rule). These changes are not “PFS” in the technical sense of altering relative value unit (RVU) or conversion-factor payment calculations, but rather are Quality Payment Program (QPP) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) policy changes that are included in the same omnibus annual rulemaking package. For CMS’s proposed PFS and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payment changes, see our previous client alert, “Health Reimbursement Signals: CMS Proposes Payment Frameworks for ‘Software as a Medical Service.’”1
Client Highlights
8.06.26
Wilson Sonsini Advises Cylinder Health on $105 Million Acquisition by Hinge Health
On August 4, 2026, Hinge Health, a digital healthcare company, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cylinder Health, a leader in virtual-first digestive healthcare, for $105 million in cash consideration. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Cylinder Health on the transaction.
Alerts
7.23.26
Health Reimbursement Signals: CMS Proposes Payment Frameworks for “Software as a Medical Service”
On July 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule and on July 14, 2026, subsequently released the CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule.1 These proposed rules establish a newly named Medicare payment category, Software as a Medical Service (SaMS), for software that supports clinical decision-making through algorithmic analysis.2 This is CMS’ first effort to pay for software-based clinical services in a structural way as their own category rather than as a cost buried inside reimbursement for another procedure. The consequential impact is that CMS would create a new reimbursement vehicle for software and AI-enabled products to be reimbursed as standalone services in the future. The proposal is worth close attention from stakeholders because Medicare reimbursement often determines the success of software or AI products intended for clinical purposes. Comments are due August 31, 2026, on the OPPS rule and September 14, 2026, on the PFS rule.
Client Highlights
6.24.26
Wilson Sonsini Advises Assort Health on $120 Million Series C
On June 24, 2026, Assort Health, the most widely used AI agents platform for the patient journey, announced a $120 million Series C led by Menlo Ventures at a valuation of $1.2 billion. Assort has now raised more than $222 million to become the standard for healthcare organizations wanting to transform the patient journey with AI. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Assort on the transaction.
In addition to Menlo Ventures, investors participating in the Series C financing include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Felicis, First Round Capital, Chemistry, Joe Montana, Tau Ventures, and Quiet Capital.
What began as the first voice AI agent to schedule a specialty appointment is now a platform spanning scheduling, intake forms, referrals, document processing, medication refills, real time eligibility, lab requests, and payments. That expansion has been powered by more than 190 million patient interactions, 62,000 care protocols, and 1.6 million decision pathways, creating the largest proprietary specialty dataset in healthcare.
The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Assort on the financing included Lang Liu, Alex Youssef, Madisyn Klein, and Nara Jo.
For more information, please see Assort’s blog post.
In addition to Menlo Ventures, investors participating in the Series C financing include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Felicis, First Round Capital, Chemistry, Joe Montana, Tau Ventures, and Quiet Capital.
What began as the first voice AI agent to schedule a specialty appointment is now a platform spanning scheduling, intake forms, referrals, document processing, medication refills, real time eligibility, lab requests, and payments. That expansion has been powered by more than 190 million patient interactions, 62,000 care protocols, and 1.6 million decision pathways, creating the largest proprietary specialty dataset in healthcare.
The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Assort on the financing included Lang Liu, Alex Youssef, Madisyn Klein, and Nara Jo.
For more information, please see Assort’s blog post.