White House, CMS Launch Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative to Accelerate Digital Health Integration

The announcement was made during a White House event hosted by President Donald Trump, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The White House, in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced coordinated efforts with major tech and healthcare firms to build a connected, patient-centered digital health ecosystem.

The initiative, revealed at the “Make Health Tech Great Again” event, is supported by companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

“For decades, bureaucrats and entrenched interests buried health data and blocked patients from taking control of their health,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “That ends today. We’re tearing down digital walls, returning power to patients, and rebuilding a health system that serves the people. This is how we begin to Make America Healthy Again.”

The CMS-led initiative focuses on two pillars: establishing a national interoperability framework for seamless health data exchange and expanding access to user-friendly digital tools. CMS unveiled voluntary criteria for trusted and practical data exchange across health information networks, electronic health records (EHRs), and technology platforms.

“We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “With the commitments made by these entrepreneurial companies today, we stand ready for a paradigm shift in the U.S. healthcare system for the benefit of patients and providers.”

More than 60 companies pledged support, with 21 networks agreeing to align with CMS’ framework, 11 health systems committing to patient engagement, and seven EHR vendors promising to facilitate streamlined data exchange.

OCR Director Paula M. Stannard added, “The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) supports actions that improve the timeliness in providing individuals with access to their electronic protected health information, without sacrificing health information privacy and security.”

Key components of the digital rollout include secure identity tools for record access, conversational AI assistants for patient engagement, digital check-in apps to replace paper forms, and chronic condition management platforms.

CMS also outlined a series of upcoming tools and services:

• A digital app library on Medicare.gov for prevention and chronic care

• Updates to the Medicare Plan Finder for improved provider access

• A FHIR-based National Provider Directory

• Enhanced Blue Button data access and digital insurance cards

• Integration of secure identity into provider-level tools like Data at the Point of Care

CMS announced it will begin sharing Blue Button claims data through new CMS-Aligned Networks by early 2026, enabling patients to access health data without managing multiple logins.

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