CMS Launches First Wave of Health Tech Ecosystem Health Information Sharing and Access Tools
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the first wave of Health Tech Ecosystem tools as part of its initiative to improve interoperability and patient access to their own health information. The CMS launched its Health Technology Ecosystem initiative in July 2025 to boost health data sharing through partnerships with major healthcare and technology firms, including Google, Amazon, Epic, and UnitedHealth Group. The initiative focuses on encouraging the adoption of the CMS Interoperability Framework, which allows patients to access their own healthcare data on any network using the digital health apps of their choice, and to increase the availability of digital health tools for care navigation and chronic disease management. At launch, more than 60 health tech firms had pledged to participate in the initiative.
One of the key aims of the initiative is to allow patients to access all of their healthcare data quickly and easily, including medical records, prior authorizations, explanation of benefits, and claims, including from current and past payers. The initiative also seeks to “kill the clipboard.” Patients should not have to complete paper forms detailing their medical history information before visits. Healthcare providers should have the capability to receive that information digitally. At the launch of the initiative, eleven health systems had pledged to accept patient information through digital tools.
It has now been eight months since the launch, and more than 700 organizations have pledged to support the initiative. More than 120 of those organizations have products that are either close to completion or ready to use. At the recent CMS HealthTech Ecosystem Live! First Wave Launch event, the CMS announced the launch of a new Medicare App Library – A centralized directory that Medicare beneficiaries can use to find and access vetted digital health care tools, including mobile and web applications, tech-enabled healthcare services, digital health platforms, and innovative care delivery tools. While concerns have been voiced about potential privacy risks associated with improving patient access to their health information, according to the CMS, “all care options in the library will have undergone rigorous evaluation to ensure they meet high standards for security, privacy, clinical evidence, usability, and equity.”
The initial launch includes apps and other digital tools to kill the clipboard by eliminating manual check-in forms through FHIR-based data exchange at the point of care, AI-based tools with secure access to medical histories that provide personalized health guidance, and tools that provide personalized, tailored guidance on nutrition, wellness, and chronic disease management, such as for diabetes and obesity prevention and management.
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“For too long, Americans have navigated a health system that lags behind the technology they use everywhere else,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Today, CMS is bringing healthcare into the modern era—aligning innovators to deliver solutions that make care easier, more connected, and more personalized.” The CMS has highlighted tools from more than 50 companies that are either ready for use or will be released to the public soon. “The First Wave Launch marks a significant step toward a fully digital, patient-centered health system—demonstrating how coordinated infrastructure and private-sector innovation can deliver simpler, more connected experiences for patients,” explained the CMS in a press release.
