The Trump administration on Wednesday said it has secured commitments from more than 60 health and information technology companies to participate in a plan to make Medicare patient data more accessible.
Leaders from tech companies including Google, Amazon and OpenAI, along with providers and health systems including Cleveland Clinic and UnitedHealth Group, will meet with health officials at the White House later on Wednesday to “begin laying the foundation for a next-generation digital health ecosystem,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement.
The initiative builds on a May effort by CMS to solicit suggestions on ways to modernize the nation’s digital health ecosystem, and the barriers to sharing patient information across different platforms.
The idea is for a patient to upload data in the health app of their choice, where it can be easily managed and shared with their doctor.
According to CMS, the initiative will focus on diabetes and obesity management, the use of conversational AI assistants to help patients, and digital tools like QR codes to “kill the clipboard” and replace paper intake forms at check-in.
Companies will commit to a voluntary framework around interoperability, which is how different health technology systems connect to one another and share data. CMS said the framework will allow medical information to be easily shared between patients and providers.
“We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience,” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement.
CMS said it also plans to add an app library to Medicare.gov to help patients with chronic disease management and to more easily navigate cost-effective providers and insurance plans.
The administration is seeking voluntary commitments from industry, including on security and privacy protections, rather than engage in rulemaking. It’s a tactic HHS has touted with the food industry and insurers to secure wins as part of its “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
