Readout: CMS Celebrates Delivery of the Health Technology Ecosystem, One Year After Launch
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently hosted the one-year celebration of the Health Technology Ecosystem, bringing together leaders from the government, healthcare, and technology sectors to feature the significant progress made over the past year in advancing interoperability, improving health data sharing, and expanding patient access to digital health tools.
The event featured remarks from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership, with speakers reflecting on Health Technology Ecosystem accomplishments during its first year, highlighted industry collaboration, and outlined priorities for the initiative's next phase.
One Year of Progress
During the opening session, HHS and CMS leadership discussed progress made since the Health Technology Ecosystem launch, including health data interoperability advancements, modern health information exchange standards, and expanded patient access to digital health applications. Speakers also recognized participating organizations that have advanced secure health information exchange while reducing administrative burden for patients and providers.
A fireside chat highlighted how public-private collaboration and continued innovation may accelerate healthcare transformation through technology-first payment models (such as the CMS ACCESS Model).
Patients at the Center
CMS leaders showed how the Health Technology Ecosystem is improving the patient experience through technologies that give individuals greater access to and control over their health information. Within the Health Tech Ecosystem, they showcased innovations such as digital identity verification, secure QR code-based health record sharing, patient-facing applications, and AI-enabled tools designed to help patients better understand and manage their health information.
CMS also provided updates on several Health Technology Ecosystem initiatives, including the National Provider Directory, the Medicare App Library, expanded Blue Button Individual Access Services scopes, and the CMS ACCESS Model. Together, these efforts are intended to make it easier for patients to access their health information and support more connected, coordinated care.
Industry Collaboration
During a panel discussion on why the Health Technology Ecosystem works, CMS recognized organizations that fulfilled their commitments over the past year and described how voluntary collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem has accelerated innovation. Participants discussed progress on interoperability, patient access, and technologies that support more seamless exchange of health information.
Looking Ahead
The event concluded with a discussion of the next phase of the Health Technology Ecosystem and opportunities to expand industry participation. Leaders also introduced new areas for future collaboration, including real-time benefits, price transparency, advanced appointment scheduling, clinical trial matching, bulk HL7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) capabilities, and provider add-on services. CMS encouraged additional organizations to join the initiative as the Health Technology Ecosystem continues to evolve through collaboration across government and the private sector.
A recording of opening session highlights is available at: https://youtu.be/ATVSdE4cnVQ?si=03QLFmQ2tuRx7w-O
The recording of the full event is available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaV7m2-zFKpgncdcV8Wnzv42DQo2ZqkUD
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