The White House and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled sweeping data initiatives on Wednesday with the launch of a program to let Americans share medical records across privately-owned apps while consolidating HHS data into a single database.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is set to partner with major health technology companies – including Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, and OpenAI – to develop an interoperable platform that patients can use to access their health information and medical records through apps and systems owned by private industry.
CMS will be charged with overseeing the system which will cover health information networks and exchanges, electronic health records, and tech platforms, the Trump administration said.
The “CMS’ Health Tech Ecosystem initiative” effort aims to “easily and seamlessly share information between patients and providers” while making available more “personalized tools so that patients have the information and resources they need to make better health decisions,” the White House said.
“For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade,” President Donald Trump said while speaking at the White House on Wednesday, adding that “with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age.”
Companies who have pledged their support for the initiative will use secure digital identity credentials to obtain data from CMS and will use “conversational” artificial intelligence assistants for administrative tasks, such as checking symptoms and scheduling appointments.
The initiative will primarily focus on diabetes and obesity management, CMS said.
Under the initiative, CMS is also building a fast healthcare interoperability resources-based application programming interface so that apps can find provider networks and improve data quality. “The agency will be launching initial functionality of the new provider directory and expand iteratively starting later this year,” CMS said.
A new modern digital identity will also be added to Medicare.gov later this year, CMS added, saying that it will “enhance security without disrupting current user accounts and services.”
CMS is also building out infrastructure to deliver a “Blue Button” program – which allows Medicare patients to download and share data – claims faster and rolling out FHIR-based digital insurance cards for add developers and Medicare.gov users as soon as this year, while integrating digital identity and provider validation into its Data at the Point of Care program.
Starting in 2026, the agency will launch “CMS-Aligned Networks,” enabling trusted exchanges where patients and providers can securely access and share Blue Button data without going through multiple logins.
“We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience,” said Mehmet Oz, administrator at CMS. “For too long, patients in this country have been burdened with a healthcare system that has not kept pace with the disruptive innovations that have transformed nearly every other sector of our economy.”
New Open Data Plan
Also on July 30 HHS rolled out its revamped HealthData.gov website and published its Living HHS Open Data Plan to fall in compliance with the OPEN Government Data Act, which requires agencies to make their data accessible.
The updated website includes three new HHS assets for public use which the department said are “the most united, data-driven collective in HHS history” and unify “formerly siloed Divisions under one HHS umbrella.”
“This more unified HHS approach will benefit researchers, policymakers, and citizens with high-value, machine-readable datasets to drive scientific breakthroughs, innovation, increase operational efficiency, and inform emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said HHS in a release.
According to Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary at HHS, the department has grown its datasets from around 3,000 to over 10,000 since the second Trump administration took office in January.
Among the aims of the open data plan are “to demystify and encourage the U.S. healthcare system to leverage high-quality data to create innovative ecosystems that benefit patients,” while ensuring “the highest standards of privacy protection,” according to HHS.