Trump Administration Partners with Big Tech to Build Digital Health Ecosystem

Big Tech to work with Trump administration to build digital health ecosystem | TechCrunch

The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it secured commitments from Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Anthropic, and Apple to start building a digital health ecosystem. The efforts will focus on two areas: creating a framework for patients and providers to easily share information, and creating more personal tools so patients can access resources needed to stay informed about their health. Such tools include apps to manage diabetes and obesity, using artificial intelligence as assistants to perform tasks like checking symptoms and scheduling appointments, and finding ways to reduce the amount of paperwork associated with medical appointments by digitizing some tasks. Democrats and Republicans have tried before to make data sharing in the U.S. health system a more seamless experience, Bloomberg reports, though the technology was never quite up to par. Over 60 companies have said they will work on the new health effort and results are expected in early 2026.

Big Tech to work with Trump admin to build digital health ecosystem | TechCrunch

The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it secured commitments from Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Anthropic, and Apple to start building a digital health ecosystem. The efforts will focus on two areas: creating a framework for patients and providers to easily share information, and creating more personal tools so patients can access resources needed to stay informed about their health. Such tools include apps to manage diabetes and obesity, using artificial intelligence as assistants to perform tasks like checking symptoms and scheduling appointments, and finding ways to reduce the amount of paperwork associated with medical appointments by digitizing some tasks. Democrats and Republicans have tried before to make data sharing in the US health system a more seamless experience, reports Bloomberg, though the technology was never quite up to par. Over 60 companies have said they will work on the new health effort and results are expected in early 2026.

Trump officials float plans for easier medical data-sharing

Apple, Google, AI biggies, and for-profit insurance all eagerly rubbing their hands The Trump administration and the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced plans to begin building a new digital health information system, in collaboration with a growing list of private-sector companies. Dubbed the CMS Digital Health Ecosystem, the new program aims to make it easier for patients to access their own medical records and health data. In a press release announcing the plan, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., claimed "bureaucrats and entrenched interests" have for decades blocked access to medical data. The CMS was more reserved in its assessment, saying the problem was more rooted in "outdated infrastructure and disconnected data." Government and private companies both have a bad track record for respecting privacy For now, the CMS's initiative is still in its nascent stages. But the long-term goal is to enable a range of apps that will allow individual patients more control over who can access their medical data and when. The apps are broadly divided into categories including conversational AI assistants, "kill the clipboard" apps for eliminating paper forms, and apps for managing obesity and diabetes. Companies said to have signed up as partners in the scheme include medical records giants Epic Systems and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner, which Oracle acquired in 2022); tech titans such as Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. For-profit healthcare and insurance providers like Citizen Health, Polygon Health, and UnitedHealth Group are also aboard, as are data networks including CommonWell Health Alliance, CRISP, and eHealth Exchange. A full list of current signees, dubbed "early adopters," can be found on the CMS website. President Trump, speaking at a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, said "The benefits to millions of Americans will be enormous. We will save time, we'll save money, and most importantly, we'll save lives." At the same press conference, officials assured Americans that once developed the system will be "strictly opt-in" and that "no centralized government database" will exist. However, the announcement has already raised concerns about security and data privacy among some quarters. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, for one, cautioned that trading in medical data can be a fraught proposition. "Any initiative that proposes to collect sensitive data, particularly vast amounts of health information and medical records, must ensure that no one uses that information in ways people don't expect," Hayley Tsukayama, Associate Director of Legislative Activism at EFF, told The Register. "This goes double for partnerships between the government and private companies, which both have a bad track record for respecting people's privacy." CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz argued that any such concerns must be balanced with the pressing need to modernize aging healthcare systems. "For too long, patients in this country have been burdened with a healthcare system that has not kept pace with the disruptive innovations that have transformed nearly every other sector of our economy," he said in a statement. The US already regulates medical data strictly. Most notably, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed in 1996, makes it a crime to wrongfully disclose patient medical information to unauthorized parties. And yet, such incidents do happen. Earlier this year, US health insurance giant Blue Shield of California accidentally let slip health data belonging to some 4.7 million of its members, thanks to a SNAFU involving Google Analytics and Google Ads. In today's Digital Health Ecosystem press release, the Office for Civil Rights, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, assured Americans it understood these concerns, saying, "If an individual receives another individual's electronic protected health information in error, generally, OCR's primary HIPAA enforcement interests are ensuring that the affected individual and HHS receive timely HIPAA breach notification." But HIPAA only applies to "covered entities," including health insurers, healthcare providers, and related services -- not to patients themselves. One of the proposed uses of Digital Health Ecosystem apps is to allow patients to pass on their own data to new providers or resources, perhaps using QR codes or some other means, which presumably would be legal under HIPAA. As described, there seems to be little to prevent patients from using their newfound freedom unwisely. Unscrupulous medical providers, cranks, and outright frauds abound, and making it easier to hand them your own data sounds dicey, particularly for those who are uneducated or suffering from mental conditions such as dementia. Despite such concerns, dragging the US healthcare system kicking and screaming into the digital age has been a long-time goal of many players in both the public and private sectors. Owing to the healthcare industry's complex, fragmented, and market-driven nature, healthcare providers, in particular, have long been among the businesses most reluctant to upgrade their aging systems, with some even still preferring paper records. For now, it remains unclear when Americans can expect the first changes envisioned by the Digital Health Ecosystem initiative to be implemented, and no formal timeline has been announced. ®

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic, will convene at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the administration is calling a "digital health ecosystem." The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Officials say patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement Wednesday. Once the system is set up, popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed onto the initiative, will be able to pull medical records, including labs or tests, of its users into its AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, CEO Geoff Cook told The Associated Press. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select health care providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and those within his circle have pushed for more technology in health care, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said.

Trump Announces Health Care Records System for Consumers

Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from Washington, and Reed Abelson from New York. President Trump on Wednesday announced the development of a health care records system that he said would allow Americans to more easily and broadly share their personal health information with health care providers. "Today the dream of easily transportable, electronic medical records finally becomes a reality," Mr. Trump said at a White House event that included the leaders of dozens of technology companies. The administration is working with some of the largest American companies on the record-keeping system, including Google, Amazon, Apple and OpenAI. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will oversee the effort. Many health care providers already allow patients to upload their medical information and schedule appointments through phone apps and online portals. Mr. Trump and top federal health officials said the information-sharing program would be an effective replacement for a system that often involves arduous and redundant paperwork that patients fill out when visiting different providers. The system, which aims in part to help Americans with diabetes and obesity, would also include artificial intelligence assistants to help Americans monitor symptoms and navigate health care options. But the effort to push Americans to upload sensitive medical information to a more centralized system also raised questions about how the Trump administration would ensure privacy. Mr. Trump appeared aware of those concerns on Wednesday. "The system will be entirely opt-in, and there will be no centralized government-run database, which everyone is always concerned about," Mr. Trump said. "People are very, very concerned about personal records. They want to keep them very quiet, and that's their choice." "It will be absolutely quiet," Mr. Trump added. But some privacy and technology experts said the program, while admirable, would still rely on voluntary participation by private companies. The announcement, they added, did not offer much detail about how patients would be able to access their medical histories in ways that would keep those records private. Easy availability of health records can run afoul of laws that protect privacy, including the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. "It's not something that can be done overnight without changing existing regulations and resolving the tension with existing laws," said Peter K. Jackson, a cybersecurity and privacy lawyer at the Los Angeles firm Greenberg Glusker. Others said that previous efforts by the federal government to pressure technology companies into adopting these kinds of standards had not been successful. They generally "have proven to be ineffective," said David Holtzman, a privacy and technology expert and the retired founder of HITprivacy, a consulting firm. He also noted that much of the system Mr. Trump announced on Wednesday was already in place. What is also unclear, Mr. Holzman said, is whether a patient uploading information to a commercial app would be protected. While the technology firms that work directly with insurance companies and providers fall under the federal privacy laws, the makers of third-party apps that are not affiliated with a health provider or insurer do not fall under these laws if someone voluntarily shares private medical information. The Trump administration has already moved aggressively to access the personal information of Americans. Mr. Trump made the announcement on Wednesday alongside Amy Gleason, a former health care executive and the current acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has sought vast amounts of personal data while gutting the federal bureaucracy. If patients opt into the system, Ms. Gleason said, they will be able to use QR codes to transfer their medical and insurance information to providers and doctors. An artificial intelligence assistant would then help the patients assess information they receive from doctors. Ms. Gleason said the system would "not replace doctors," but would "fill in the gap between visits."

Trump administration's digital health tracking system gives tech giants access to medical records

Forward-looking: The Trump administration wants the US public to upload personal health data and medical records to a series of apps and systems managed by private health companies and tech giants. The move is supposed to allow easier access to health records across the nation, bringing personal healthcare into the digital age, but there are plenty of concerns about the security of the data and the possibility that it could be exploited. During an event announcing the initiative yesterday, President Trump said, "For decades, America's health care networks have been overdue for a high-tech upgrade and that's what we are doing." More than 60 tech companies have pledged their support to the digital health ecosystem, including Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, and OpenAI. Health care firms such as UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health will also be sharing patient data in the new system. According to the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which will be in charge of maintaining the system, its two main areas are to enable the sharing of information between patients and providers easily and seamlessly, and increase the availability of personalized tools so that patients have the information and resources they need to make better health decisions. The primary focus of the apps will be diabetes and obesity management; the use of conversational AI assistants to help patients check symptoms, navigate care options, and schedule appointments, among other tasks; and introducing digital methods such as QR codes and apps for patient check-ins and medication tracking. "The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today's announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age," Trump said. CMS officials said that Americans will have to opt-in to the program for their medical data to be shared, and that it will be kept secure. It added that they will be able to call up their own records without the previous difficulties, such as the use of fax machines to share documents. The prospect of people's personal health data being freely shared by tech firms has raised plenty of privacy concerns. Experts warn that many of the companies aren't covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which prevents personal health information from being shared by certain entities without a patient's consent. There are also questions over the use of AI assistants - which remain prone to hallucinations and mistakes - for tasks such as symptom checking. It's also unclear whether the government will be able to access patient data and how it may use the information. The system is expected to launch next year. Weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, one of the companies that is part of the initiative, will be able to access users' medical records from the system. CEO Geoff Cook told the Associated Press that this might include labs or medical tests that the app could use to develop an AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight.

Trump administration launching health tracking system with big tech's help

Initiative involving Americans' personal data on systems run by private firms has 'enormous concerns', say experts The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising easier to access health records and wellness monitoring. Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks on the initiative Wednesday afternoon in the East Room. The event is expected to involve leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland clinic. The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who will be in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Those officials said patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement Wednesday. CMS already has troves of information on more than 140 million Americans who enroll in Medicare and Medicaid. Popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed on to the initiative, will be able to pull medical records after the system's expected launch early next year. That might include labs or medical tests that the app could use to develop an AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, the CEO, Geoff Cook, told the Associated Press. Apps and health systems will also have access to their competitors' information, too. Noom would be able to access a person's data from Apple Health, for example. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select healthcare providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government, however, has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. The new initiative would deepen the pool of information on patients for the federal government and tech companies. Medical records typically contain far more sensitive information, such as doctors' notes about conversations with patients and substance abuse or mental health history. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said. The health and human services secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and those within his circle have likewise pushed for more technology in healthcare, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses.

These major tech leaders to partner with Trump on electronic patient records

Why it matters: Patient health information is now scattered across multiple disconnected systems, leading to inefficiencies, medical errors and wasted time and money. * Past federal efforts to get providers and payers to share patient health information in a more seamless way got bogged down by tech glitches, litigation and excessive bureaucracy, and prompted privacy concerns. Driving the news: The administration on Wednesday won commitments from more than 60 companies to work in two broad areas: promoting an interoperability framework to better share information between patients and providers, and to increase the availability of personalized tools for patients. * Patients would have to opt in to share their health data and records on new systems and apps that would be administered by the companies. * Officials said the apps could assist with diabetes and obesity management and include AI assistants to help patients check symptoms and choose care options. New digital check-in methods could reduce paper intake -- an effort the administration has dubbed "kill the clipboard." * "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. "We stand ready for a paradigm shift in the U.S. health care system." Amy Gleason, the acting administrator of DOGE and a former health tech executive, and Arda Kara, who worked at data firm Palantir before joining the administration, have led the medical records push, CNN reported, citing people familiar. Between the lines: Past administrations have launched efforts to remove barriers between providers, payers and health IT companies.

US government launches health data tracking initiative with Big Tech

The programme aims to bring US health care into the digital age, but online privacy advocates raised concerns about how Americans' data could be used. The Trump administration is launching a new programme that will allow Americans to share their personal health data across medical systems and apps run by private tech companies. Health officials said the initiative will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. More than 60 companies, including major tech firms like Google, Amazon, and Apple as well as American health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. "For decades America's health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade," US President Donald Trump said during an event with company CEOs at the White House on Wednesday. "The existing systems are often slow, costly, and incompatible with one another, but with today's announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age". The system, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specialises in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families," he added. US health officials who will maintain the system have said that patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Those officials said patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. Some patients travel from across the US for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. But they often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said Dr Tomislav Mihaljevic, the hospital system's CEO. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. However, the US government has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programmes, and digital privacy advocates are sceptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely, said Jeffrey Chester from the Center for Digital Democracy. The US government already has troves of information on more than 140 million Americans who enroll in public health insurance programmes. Earlier this month, the federal agency agreed to hand over its massive database, including home addresses, to deportation officials. The new initiative would deepen the pool of information on patients for the federal government and tech companies. Medical records typically contain sensitive information, such as doctors' notes about conversations with patients and their substance abuse or mental health history. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetisation of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said.

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

The Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. More than 60 companies, including major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple as well as health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. "For decades America's health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade," President Donald Trump said during an event with company CEOs at the White House on Wednesday. "The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today's announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age." The system, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who will be in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Those officials said patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We're going to have remarkable advances in how consumers can use their own records," Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said during the White House event. Popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed onto the initiative, will be able to pull medical records after the system's expected launch early next year. That might include labs or medical tests that the app could use to develop an AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, CEO Geoff Cook told The Associated Press. Apps and health systems will also have access to their competitors' information, too. Noom would be able to access a person's data from Apple Health, for example. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select health care providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government, however, has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and those within his circle have pushed for more technology in health care, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses. CMS already has troves of information on more than 140 million Americans who enroll in Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this month, the federal agency agreed to hand over its massive database, including home addresses, to deportation officials. The new initiative would deepen the pool of information on patients for the federal government and tech companies. Medical records typically contain far more sensitive information, such as doctors' notes about conversations with patients and substance abuse or mental health history. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said. The Trump administration tried to launch a less ambitious electronic record program in 2018 that did not get finalized during his first term, but it did not have buy in from major tech companies at the time.

Trump administration and Big Tech to launch a private health tracking system

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks on the initiative Wednesday afternoon in the East Room. The event is expected to involve leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic. The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private.

Trump administration launching private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic, will convene at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the administration is calling a "digital health ecosystem." The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Officials say patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement Wednesday. Once the system is set up, popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed onto the initiative, will be able to pull medical records, including labs or tests, of its users into its AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, CEO Geoff Cook told The Associated Press. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select health care providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and those within his circle have pushed for more technology in health care, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said.

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic, will convene at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the administration is calling a "digital health ecosystem." The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Officials say patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement Wednesday. Once the system is set up, popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed onto the initiative, will be able to pull medical records, including labs or tests, of its users into its AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, CEO Geoff Cook told The Associated Press. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select health care providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and those within his circle have pushed for more technology in health care, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said.

Trump Administration Is Launching a New Private Health Tracking System With Big Tech's Help

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies, including major tech companies such as Google and Amazon, as well as prominent hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic, will convene at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the administration is calling a "digital health ecosystem." The new system will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications. The initiative, spearheaded by an administration that has already freely shared highly personal data about Americans in ways that have tested legal bounds, could put patients' desires for more convenience at their doctor's office on a collision course with their expectations that their medical information be kept private. "There are enormous ethical and legal concerns," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public health. "Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families." Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in charge of maintaining the system, have said patients will need to opt in for the sharing of their medical records and data, which will be kept secure. Officials say patients will benefit from a system that lets them quickly call up their own records without the hallmark difficulties, such as requiring the use of fax machines to share documents, that have prevented them from doing so in the past. "We have the tools and information available now to empower patients to improve their outcomes and their healthcare experience," Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for CMS, said in a statement Wednesday. Once the system is set up, popular weight loss and fitness subscription service Noom, which has signed onto the initiative, will be able to pull medical records, including labs or tests, of its users into its AI-driven analysis of what might help users lose weight, CEO Geoff Cook told The Associated Press. "Right now you have a lot of siloed data," Cook said. Patients who travel across the country for treatment at the Cleveland Clinic often have a hard time obtaining all their medical records from various providers, said the hospital system's CEO, Tomislav Mihaljevic. He said the new system would eliminate that barrier, which sometimes delays treatment or prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis because they do not have a full view of a patient's medical history. Having seamless access to health app data, such as what patients are eating or how much they are exercising, will also help doctors manage obesity and other chronic diseases, Mihaljevic said. "These apps give us insight about what's happening with the patient's health outside of the physician's office," he said. CMS will also recommend a list of apps on Medicare.gov that are designed to help people manage chronic diseases, as well as help them select health care providers and insurance plans. Digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely. The federal government has done little to regulate health apps or telehealth programs, said Jeffrey Chester at the Center for Digital Democracy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and those within his circle have pushed for more technology in health care, advocating for wearable devices that monitor wellness and telehealth. Kennedy also sought to collect more data from Americans' medical records, which he has previously said he wants to use to study autism and vaccine safety. Kennedy has filled the agency with staffers who have a history of working at or running health technology startups and businesses. "This scheme is an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information," Chester said.

Trump, tech giants want to make it easier to share health records: What it means for you

A U.S. district judge blocked a provision in Trump's new law that cut Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, calling it likely unconstitutional. President Donald Trump and his top health officials are pursuing a new initiative that will allow people to share their personal health and medical records with doctors and hospitals. Technology giants Apple, Amazon, Google and Open AI as well as health industries companies UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health are among more than 60 companies that have agreed to develop standards to share health information across computer systems. Trump touted the idea of eliminating redundancies such as filling out paperwork at multiple health providers offices. "This will allow patients to easily transmit information from one doctor to another," Trump said during a July 30 briefing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. Trump emphasized the initiative will be voluntary and require patients to opt in. He added there will be no centralized, government-run database storing patients' personal records. "People are very concerned about the personal records," Trump said. "That's their choice ... it will be absolutely quiet." Large hospital systems and some doctors allow patients to share health information, fill out forms and schedule appointments through websites and mobile apps. And health tech companies have developed apps that allow people to track their health information, but these apps often can't access medical records from health providers, said Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Companies operating 21 networks have agreed to an "interoperability framework" to meet Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services criteria, according to the Trump administration. Hospital systems and electronic health records vendors have agreed to cooperate in the effort, according to CMS. Participating apps would help people manage obesity and diabetes, including the use of AI assistants to help check symptoms or schedule appointments, CMS said. Privacy, data security remain top worries The health care industry and tech companies have been attempting to reduce paperwork and seamlessly share electronic health records for three decades, said Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak, an Orlando, Florida-based cybersecurity company. Hospitals, doctors, labs and vendors that directly handle such sensitive medical records are subject to a federal privacy law, called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. To make health information and records more portable and accessible, consumers need to be guaranteed strong privacy protections and granted control over what information is shared, Pierson said. A consumer might be willing to share their sensitive information with doctors, hospitals or labs. But the same person might want to block an app from sharing records with third parties such as exercise equipment vendors or nutritional supplement retailers. Pierson said such apps would likely still need to comply with HIPAA and other federal and state laws. Given that the apps are voluntary and require consent, they likely would comply with privacy laws, Pierson said. Companies also would need to safeguard information technology security to protect the sensitive information from data breaches. Hackers target health records Digital medical records are a popular target for hackers seeking sensitive health information, bank records and a person's identifiable information such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers. The number of attacks has surged in recent years and are often carried out by organized hackers, often operating overseas, who target the computer systems of health providers and the vendors and companies that serve them. HHS investigates whether breaches involve violations of health information privacy and security laws and publicly reports attacks that affect 500 or more on its website. In July alone, more than two dozen data breaches compromised the records of more than 3 million people, HHS records show. The largest hack in recent years involved the February 2024 attack on UnitedHealth-owned subsidiary Change Healthcare. The attack disrupted the health care industry because doctors and hospitals were unable to collect payments for weeks when computer systems went down.

President Trump Reportedly Wants Americans to Share Personal Health Data With Big Tech, Claiming It Would Allow for Better Care, But Many Fear AI Will Exploit It

The Trump administration wants to bring personal health care into the "digital age" by encouraging Americans to sign up to share medical records with US firms, but this initiative might serve a greater purpose. One of the top priorities of President Trump's AI action plan was to integrate the technology across government and private sectors, with deregulation as a central objective, and it seems like the first industry to see a massive change might be the health sector. Reported by AP, it is revealed that the Trump administration is announcing a new program that will give Americans the opportunity to submit personal health records to Big Tech, allowing them to come up with better and a "digital form" of a healthcare system. For decades America's health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade. The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today's announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age. - President Trump According to what we have seen, Americans would have the choice to opt into the program, and it is claimed that their data would remain completely secure. Importantly, one of the bigger changes with this program would be intended to make data retrieval, particularly medical records, easier for professionals to learn about a patient's history without any difficulties. Apart from this, it is claimed that the digitized health system would allow users to track health issues such as diabetes and weight management, through AI-driven applications. However, the program has seen skepticism from several professionals, particularly on how the data is going to be used by organizations. Since there's no legal guardrail on what AI systems could infer from medical data, patients won't have control over how their data is used. While there are laws such as the HIPAA Act, they certainly don't deal with health information being used as datasets for AI models, which shows concerns about this initiative. There are enormous ethical and legal concerns. Patients across America should be very worried that their medical records are going to be used in ways that harm them and their families. - Lawrence Gostin, Georgetown Law Professor For now, the specifics about the program aren't confirmed for now, but we do know that more than 60 companies such as the likes of Google and Amazon, will be a part of this digital health ecosystem.