U.S. government-wide program that standardizes security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services sold to federal agencies.

Definition

FedRAMP is the federal program for reusable assurance of cloud service offerings. As of November 1, 2026, its consolidated rules distinguish Program and Agency Certification paths and 20x and Rev5 certification types. Applicability dates differ by type and by obtaining versus maintaining certification. Legacy Rev5 agency authorization and reusable packages remain relevant during transition; the JAB is not a current alternative issuing agency ATOs.

Why it matters

Federal health deployments may require FedRAMP assurance plus agency-specific requirements. Determine the information impact level and, for DoD, applicable separate cloud security requirements. There is no universal FedRAMP Moderate rule for every health-data service.

Common pitfalls

•Do not plan on obtaining a new JAB provisional ATO. Select a current Program or Agency Certification path and assess reusable evidence and agency-specific authorization obligations.
•Assuming FedRAMP Low is sufficient for health data, VA and MHS deployments typically require Moderate or High.
•Underestimating continuous monitoring, monthly POA&Ms, annual assessments, and significant-change reauthorization are non-negotiable.

Sources

FedRAMP · GSA
FedRAMP Marketplace · GSA
CISA - Healthcare and Public Health Sector · CISA
FedRAMP certification rules · FedRAMP
FedRAMP paths · FedRAMP

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