The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled the first phase of a new digital health ecosystem on Thursday, including a Medicare App Library and patient-facing tools to replace paper-based processes with digital services.
The “HealthTech Ecosystem” launch is CMS’s first major move to modernize how patients access and share health data, following a 2025 call for industry participation that drew more than 700 organizations. CMS said hundreds of companies are now contributing to early deployments.
“For too long, Americans have navigated a health system that lags behind the technology they use everywhere else,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in a statement. “Today, CMS is bringing healthcare into the modern era – aligning innovators to deliver solutions that make care easier, more connected, and more personalized.”
CMS said some of the interoperable digital tools will allow patients to share information securely with a scan on their phone, offer tailored nutrition and wellness guidance, and provide chronic disease management.
“This approach reduces administrative burden, accelerates innovation, and supports a more connected, value?driven health system,” CMS said.
In a post to X, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said that, “For years, Americans have dealt with clipboards, fax machines, and repetitive paperwork. That era is being left behind.”
CMS’s Health Technology Ecosystem was first announced in July 2025, and invited companies to voluntarily join the CMS vision to improve the interoperability of health care.
A primary aim of the initiative is to “kill the clipboard,” which would eliminate intake forms that patients fill out during health care visits. Amy Gleason, acting administrator of DOGE and strategic advisor to CMS, said in September that the initiative would enable patients to scan a QR code at a health care facility with their smartphone to securely share their medical records.
Some artificial intelligence tools will also be used as part of the initiative, according to Gleason.