CMS’s collaboration with leaders in health, tech, and AI will give MTM teams smarter tools and real-time data to reach patients sooner and improve patient outcomes.
By Golda Manuel, PharmD., MS
To close the persistent gaps in health data, the White House and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Health Tech Ecosystem initiative on July 30, 2025. More than 60 healthcare and tech leaders, from major health systems to Silicon Valley firms, have joined forces with CMS to tear down data silos and build a truly patient-centered digital health ecosystem.1
At the center of the initiative is CMS’s new Interoperability Framework, a national playbook for how health data should move across networks . More than 20 health information networks, including regional exchanges and large provider platforms, have committed to becoming CMS Aligned Networks by adopting shared standards such as FHIR APIs and consistent policies for data exchange.1 In practice, this means that if a Medicare patient gives consent, a provider or app in one network could access their records (from hospital visits to lab results to claims) from another network in a secure, standardized format. The aim is to eliminate silos and make health information move easily wherever the patient goes.
This effort reflects a new kind of collaboration. CMS is working with some of the biggest names in tech - Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic - as well as the most recognized names in healthcare: Epic, Cleveland Clinic, Providence, CVS Health, and UnitedHealth Group. All have signed on to contribute in different areas of the initiative, uniting behind a shared commitment to modernize health data access .1, 2
Twenty-one networks and eleven health systems have signed on to the CMS framework, promising to make health records easier to exchange.1 With secure identity checks and standard formats in place, patients can choose to share their data with any provider or health app they trust.
Top EHR systems committed to facilitate better data exchange, which likely means building the required APIs and eliminating the technical barriers that often make it hard to share or export data.3 This should make it easier for outside pharmacists or care coordinators to pull needed clinical data (with patient approval) from a hospital or clinic’s EHR.
A host of tech companies, from household names to health startups, agreed to build patient-focused apps that leverage this data connectivity. The idea is to deliver real, tangible tools to patients by early 2026. These apps fall into a few buckets:
18 companies (including OpenAI, Anthropic, Hippocratic AI, K Health, and even scheduling platforms like Zocdoc) will develop AI-powered conversational AI assistants.4 These might be chatbots or voice assistants that patients can interact with to ask health questions, get personalized coaching, check symptoms, or navigate their care.3
These AIs will be able to, with consent, pull in the patient’s personal health data from the aligned networks to provide personalized support. For example, a future “MedGuide AI” could see your recent diagnoses and meds and answer, “Given my medications, what side effects should I watch for?” using your personal data.
Several organizations will focus on ending the era of paper forms and redundant medical histories. They’re working on seamless digital check-in solutions where patients can share their standardized health profile with a click, rather than writing down the same list of medications and surgeries for the hundredth time.3,5 A big step for MTM, this means pharmacists and providers would start an encounter with an up-to-date medication list from the network, rather than relying solely on patient recall.
Eight companies (e.g. Noom for weight management, Oura for health monitoring) will build tools targeting conditions like diabetes and obesity.6 These might integrate data from continuous glucose monitors, fitness trackers, and medical records to coach patients in staying healthy.
The initiative emphasizes secure digital identity verification and patient consent at every step.5 Patients will likely use something like a federated digital ID to log in and authorize apps to fetch their records without cumbersome paperwork. And the pledges highlight privacy. The companies building AI assistants, for example, pledged to securely access health info only with consent, and to clearly distinguish educational content from medical advice.4 An AI assistant shouldn’t pretend to be a doctor. It should help with general guidance and connect the patient to a clinician when needed. These guardrails will be vital to maintain trust as technology takes on a bigger role.
CMS is pushing for rapid progress expecting many of these apps and network integrations to show results by Q1 2026.7 To support this ecosystem, CMS is also upgrading its own infrastructure. For instance, Blue Button 2.0, the Medicare API that lets patients share their claims data with apps, is being modernized. CMS is developing systems to reduce the lag between when a claim is filed and when it’s available via Blue Button.1 Historically, Medicare claims for services like hospital visits or prescription fills often took weeks to be reflected in the Blue Button system. CMS aims to make this data available almost in real time. This would allow apps or pharmacists to see, within days, when a new prescription has been filled or when a patient has had an emergency room visit. Faster data is actionable data, especially for MTM teams who need to respond quickly to medication changes or gaps.
A more connected health system where patients, providers, and even payers can access the right information, securely and in real time.
Patient data flows securely and in real time, eliminating paper-based workflows and enabling seamless, digital information exchange across every point of care.
Provider networks align with national standards and empower patients to share and receive data digitally, without filling out a clipboard again.
Patient-facing apps with AI assistants that deliver personalized accurate support and help patients navigate to the right care.
Patient-facing apps that deliver personalized support for chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
Easily access and share health records through digital tools like QR codes or Smart Health Cards, enabling secure, seamless data exchange.
Align health networks and payers to eliminate data silos and give patients and care teams the information they need.
As healthcare moves toward a more connected, data-driven model, MTM has a critical role to play . With the right tools and real-time data, pharmacists can intervene earlier, tailor care more precisely, and prevent costly medication errors before they spiral into emergencies. But to unlock that potential, we need more than just technology, we need policy and infrastructure to support it . That means continued investment in interoperability, updated reimbursement models that let pharmacists bill for their clinical expertise, and better training to help MTM teams integrate new tools into their workflows. CMS has laid the foundation, but the system still needs alignment to scale this kind of care.
As MTM teams gain access to richer datasets, from hospital records to wearable devices, the responsibility to protect patient privacy grows exponentially, making consent, transparency, and airtight security non-negotiable. Trust will hinge on clear guardrails, HIPAA-compliant safeguards, and a unified commitment from policymakers, tech leaders, and healthcare providers to ensure that data is used responsibly and for the benefit of patients.
AI can be a powerful tool for MTM , but it still needs human oversight. Pharmacists must validate their outputs, catch potential errors, and ensure that any clinical guidance remains grounded in professional judgment. For these systems to be truly effective, they need to include safeguards that prevent bias, account for clinical context, and support accurate, informed decision-making.
For AI and data to truly support MTM, they must fit seamlessly into existing workflows, delivering insights in context and designed with usability in mind for both clinicians and patients. Without thoughtful integration and support, there's a real risk of overwhelming providers and leaving behind those patients who need the most help navigating digital tools.
AI may enhance MTM, but meaningful care still depends on pharmacists who connect with patients, uncover context beyond the data, and support them through the challenges of chronic illness. Rather than replacing the pharmacist-patient connection, technology should streamline tasks and create space for building trust and supporting better care.
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