The Trump administration announced Wednesday a sweeping program allowing Americans to share personal health data and medical records across private tech platforms and health systems. The initiative, backed by more than 60 companies—including Google, Amazon, Apple, UnitedHealth Group, and CVS Health—aims to improve access to patient records and help manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity. It will also feature conversational artificial intelligence for patient support and digital tools like QR codes and medication-tracking apps.During a White House event with industry leaders, President Trump said, as quoted by AP, “For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade… With today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age.” He emphasised that the new system will address slow, costly, and incompatible current health record systems.Noom, a popular weight-loss and fitness subscription service, is among the companies participating. CEO Geoff Cook explained the system will allow the app to access labs or medical tests from other providers, feeding an AI-driven analysis that could support personalized weight-management plans. He said, “Right now you have a lot of siloed data.”
CMS opt-in system promises convenience- but raises privacy concerns
The centers for medicare and medicaid services (CMS), the agency in charge of managing the program, said patient participation is voluntary. Users must opt in to share their data, which CMS said will be kept secure.However, the initiative has drawn criticism from privacy experts. Georgetown law professor Lawrence Gostin warned, “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.”Hospitals also see promise in the program. Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr Tomislav Mihaljevic said it will enable doctors to view complete patient histories, improving diagnosis and treatment plans. He added that continuous data from apps, tracking diet and exercise habits, offers insight into a patient’s health outside of the clinic setting: “These apps give us insight about what’s happening with the patient’s health outside of the physician’s office.”Despite these benefits, digital privacy advocates remain worried. Jeffrey Chester of the center for digital democracy criticised the lack of government oversight in health technology, calling the system “an open door for the further use and monetization of sensitive and personal health information.”CMS already holds data on over 140 million Americans. Earlier this month, the agency agreed to share its database, including home addresses, with deportation officials- raising alarms about further expansion of federal access to personal data.
