Las Vegas, NV – Today, CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced new proposals to promote interoperability in the digital health ecosystem that support greater patient data access. The proposals, which include a new version of the Blue Button API and stricter rules on data blocking, will bring significant benefits to innovators in the digital health ecosystem. Morgan Reed, executive director of ACT | The App Association’s Connected Health Initiative (CHI) released the following statement in support response to the new proposals.
“CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s remarks reiterate CMS’ commitment to a 21st century healthcare system. We are hopeful that measures announced today lead us on a path to make that a reality. The new Blue Button 2.0 API should bring two-way capable APIs into the healthcare marketplace to be used across platforms and doctors. Additionally, access to Medicare data is critical in turning data into actionable information for doctors and healthcare providers. We have long advocated for these changes and recognize this as a huge step in the right direction. CHI applauds CMS’ intent to reexamine meaningful use and consider measures that increase interoperability and penalize data blocking activities. Our members need access to interoperable data to fuel and effectively implement their digital health solutions. We are encouraged by this cross-agency cooperation, and we look forward to working with CMS on the path forward.”
