At a July 30, 2025, White House event titled “Make Health Tech Great Again,” the Trump administration and CMS unveiled a sweeping, voluntary public–private effort engaging over 60 tech and healthcare firms—including Amazon, Apple, Google, OpenAI, and UnitedHealth Group—to build a patient-centric, interoperable digital health ecosystem.
While the push promises to modernise medical data sharing and empower patients, critics warn of serious privacy risks.
A Bold Digital Leap Meets Private-Sector Muscle
“For decades, bureaucrats and entrenched interests buried health data and blocked patients from taking control of their health. That ends today.”
— HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Fierce Healthcare)
At the White House “Make Health Tech Great Again” event, the administration confirmed pledges from more than 60 companies—spanning tech giants and healthcare providers—to join CMS’s new Health Tech Ecosystem.
The initiative aims to foster interoperability and reduce administrative friction in healthcare.
Foundations Of A Modernised Healthcare System
Central to the initiative is a CMS interoperability framework that will define standards for seamless data exchange via FHIR APIs.
Firms meeting the criteria will earn the “CMS Aligned Network” designation—first badges expected in early 2026.
Simultaneously, CMS plans enhancements to Medicare.gov, including an app library for vetted digital tools, a revamped Plan Finder, provider directories, digital identity, and improved Blue Button access for claims.
AI Assistants, Health Apps, And Killing The Clipboard
“We’re tearing down digital walls, returning power to patients…”
— Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS Administrator
Tech partners are developing patient-facing tools—from AI-powered symptom checkers and appointment schedulers to apps focused on chronic care like diabetes and obesity, as well as digital check-in systems.
The goal: streamline workflows and eliminate paper-based forms at clinics.
Empowering Patients, Dividing Opinion
“This is how we begin to Make America Healthy Again,” declared HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while CMS head Dr. Mehmet Oz championed the potential for a radical shift in patient and provider experience.
But privacy advocates sounded alarms. Without HIPAA coverage, critics warn, health data could be exploited for advertising or law enforcement ends. Concerns focus on consent, transparency, and data misuse.
Next Steps And The Road Ahead
The initiative is opt-in, with tech and health companies aiming to roll out aligned tools and networks by 2026.
Success hinges on defining strong privacy safeguards and delivering tangible healthcare benefits.
“Without strong privacy protections, this health-tracking system could endanger patient confidentiality more than it aids healthcare delivery.”
— Digital Privacy Advocates.
Read More:
White House and CMS tap Amazon, Apple, Google and other tech giants to drive patient-centered digital health initiative – Medical Economics
