I recently attended a listening session hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focused on advancing digital health and health IT policy. The conversation brought together key stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem—government agencies, EHR vendors, interoperability networks, and digital health leaders—to explore how data and technology can improve care delivery and reduce administrative burden.

The session made one thing clear: federal momentum behind TEFCA is not only intact—it’s accelerating. CMS voiced continued support for TEFCA’s role in building a more connected, standards-based infrastructure for nationwide health data exchange. This reassurance comes at a critical moment, as the industry prepares to scale TEFCA participation and fully realize its promise.

Key Announcements from CMS:

1. Improved National Provider Directory – A centralized, enhanced directory will be developed to support accurate provider data and streamline coordination.
2. Federated Identity Standards for Providers – CMS will adopt a standards-based approach to provider identity validation, similar to a “digital passport” within the healthcare ecosystem.
3. Enhanced Patient Access APIs – APIs must support more comprehensive data sets, stronger performance, and include digital insurance cards.
4. Point-of-Care Data Enablement – CMS expressed the intent to expand their Data at the Point of Care (DPC) API program.
5. For the first time, CMS announced its plans to formally participate in TEFCA, expanding both its utility and legitimacy.

Broader Industry Themes:

In addition to policy updates, the session highlighted broader tensions and opportunities shaping the future of digital health:

• Growing consensus around the need for strong identity credentialing for both patients and providers.
• Continued support for patient-centric data access, balanced against the need for centralized infrastructure to ensure interoperability at scale.
• Data quality will play an important part going forward and a number of initiatives are working to bring its definition into better focus
• Recognition that privacy and AI enablement must be thoughtfully aligned as new technologies enter care workflows.

Many of these themes align with the work Health Gorilla is doing today—enabling secure, structured data exchange across a growing network of healthcare organizations, payers, and technology partners.

Final Thoughts:

The session reflected the kind of coordinated public-private dialogue necessary to move the industry forward. As CMS, ATSP and the broader policy community refine the next phase of interoperability, Health Gorilla remains committed to helping shape and support this progress—offering the infrastructure, governance, and expertise to deliver on the promise of a more connected and data-driven healthcare system.