Yesterday, the White House and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a major initiative to modernize the digital health ecosystem, securing pledges from over 60 leading companies, including Amazon, Google, and OpenAI, to build tools that make health data more usable, secure, and patient-centered. As an organization focused on improving health through evidence and better data access, AcademyHealth is watching this initiative closely. Health Datapalooza has long been a place to debate and shape the future of health data, and this year’s event will be no exception.
What’s in the Initiative?
The initiative highlights voluntary commitments from private sector companies to build better tools and platforms that make health data easier to find, understand, and act upon, especially for patients and providers. It also includes promises to improve the quality of key CMS data systems that underpin provider directories and billing, among others. Transparency and open data are major themes, as CMS pledges to share more data “from the start” via platforms like data.cms.gov. The announcement centers on two big changes:
- A voluntary CMS Interoperability Framework that will allow health data to flow more easily and securely between systems, patients, and providers
- New commitments from private companies to build user-friendly apps for patients, including digital intake tools and AI-driven care navigation
More than 60 companies—including 21 networks, 11 health systems, and 7 EHR vendors—have committed to participating in this ecosystem. CMS also plans to create a library of trusted health apps and modernize its own tools like Plan Finder and Blue Button.
Where the Tensions Lie
While this new CMS initiative is promising, it comes amid a broader debate over how health data should be governed and by whom. Voluntary industry action, while valuable, cannot take the place of strong public stewardship, clear accountability, and enduring commitments to privacy, equity, and scientific integrity. Already, legal experts and civil society voices are raising important questions about how patient data will be protected, especially in partnerships involving firms not traditionally subject to health privacy laws. These conversations are essential and highlight the importance of tackling practical challenges early and openly.
At AcademyHealth we remained concerned about recent actions that have limited access to essential public health datasets. These concerns led us to take legal action earlier this year to defend the availability of these resources for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
As a nonpartisan organization committed to use of evidence in health care decision making, we believe that meaningful progress requires dialogue, especially among those with different perspectives and responsibilities. That’s what Health Datapalooza has always offered: a place where public officials, private innovators, researchers, and advocates come together to wrestle with the real challenges of health data policy and practice, and to seek common ground.
Turning Tension into Progress: Why Health Datapalooza Matters Now
This year’s conference will provide a platform for crucial conversations - unpacking announcements and opportunities like the one announced today, asking important questions, and engaging with leaders to create solutions grounded in evidence and equity.
You'll hear from many of the people shaping this new initiative, including leaders from CMS and HHS. In addition, we’ve got real-time reaction from leaders like Aneesh Chopra, Chief Strategy Officer at Arcadia. His keynote will be informed by timely conversations this initiative making Health Datapalooza the place to be to hear where things are headed next.
We encourage all members of the health data community to join us in September to engage with these complex issues, hear from diverse voices, and help shape a health data ecosystem that truly works for all Americans.
Join us for this important conversation and register for Health Datapalooza today.