US health, tech officials to launch data-sharing plan

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz are expected to host executives at an event on Wednesday, said the people, who did not provide names of the attendees and asked not to be named because the details haven’t been made public.

The plan was developed in coordination with the White House, building on a May effort by CMS to get public input on addressing barriers to sharing patient data. 

The initiative was led by Amy Gleason, acting administrator of DOGE, the initiative known as Department of Government Efficiency, and Arda Kara, a senior adviser at CMS. Both worked for health-tech startups before joining the Trump administration.

“This initiative aims to build a smarter, more secure, and more personalized health care system — one that improves patient outcomes, reduces provider burden, and drives greater value through private-sector innovation and aligned federal leadership,” CMS spokesperson Catherine Howden said in a written statement.

Clear, a company known for its identity verification services frequently used within airports, is planning to attend, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has previously targeted the healthcare industry for expansion. A company spokesperson declined to comment.

Companies will commit to a voluntary framework around what’s known as interoperability, or how different health technology systems connect to one another and share data, the people said. Improving the flow of data across the fragmented US health-care system has long been a policy goal of both Democratic and Republican administrations seeking to improve quality and reduce waste.

The pledges will involve principles around patient and provider access to health information, and data sharing standards, among other elements. CMS will share additional information next week about the timeline for the plan, Howden said.