The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has announced a Health Tech Ecosystem initiative, developed in response to a May 2025 request for information (“RFI”) to solicit suggestions from stakeholders on ways to modernize the nation’s digital health ecosystem.

The initiative focuses on two main areas: (1) promoting a CMS Interoperability Framework to easily and seamlessly share information between patients and providers; and (2) increasing the availability of personalized tools so that patients have the information and resources they need to make better health decisions.  

More than 60 health care and information technology firms, including Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, and OpenAI, have pledged their commitment to the initiative to deliver results in the first quarter of 2026. A full list of companies who have currently pledged their support can be found here.

In addition, 30 companies pledged to promote real health outcomes with technology using new apps that will  use secure digital identity credentials to obtain medical records from CMS Aligned Networks that meet the CMS data-sharing criteria. The apps will assist in the delivery of key services to beneficiaries including but not limited to: (1) diabetes and obesity management; (2) the use of conversational AI assistants to help patients check symptoms, navigate care options, and schedule appointments; (3) and tools to “kill the clipboard” by replacing paper intake forms with seamless digital check-in methods. CMS plans to add a library of these apps to Medicare.gov.

Lastly, CMS provided an update on certain efforts announced at a June 3 public meeting on the RFI:

• CMS will update its own tools, including the Plan Finder, that will enhance beneficiary experience by allowing beneficiaries to select plans that include their preferred providers and hospital in network.
• CMS is building a National Provider Directory to enable apps to find provider networks, participants, and relevant endpoints, with an initial functionality to be launched later this year.
• CMS plans to modernize Medicare.gov, with changes that will enhance security.
• CMS is developing infrastructure to reduce the time between when claims are received and when they become accessible through Blue Button.
• CMS is working to integrate digital identity and National Provider Directory validation into Data at the Point of Care.
• CMS will respond to patient and provider queries and sharing Blue Button claims data through CMS-aligned networks.

Reed Smith will continue to follow developments with regard to regulation of health technology. If you have any questions about this program, please reach out to the author or the health care lawyers at Reed Smith.