- TEFCA now connects more than 100,000 organizations and has facilitated more than 1.7 billion transactions
- Federal health IT officials are shifting from basic data exchange toward making health information standardized, computable and actionable
- The 2026 Healthcare Summit will explore health IT, AI adoption and more
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, has surpassed 1.7 billion transactions, marking a new phase in federal health IT efforts as officials focus on making interoperable health information usable across the healthcare system, GovCIO reported Tuesday.
As CMS moves beyond simply exchanging health data toward making it interoperable, computable and useful, the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 3 will examine what comes next for federal health technology. Join senior government and industry leaders to explore AI adoption, digital health tools, data privacy, healthcare modernization and the technology priorities shaping FY27. Register now.
TEFCA now connects more than 100,000 organizations through common expectations for health information exchange, said National Coordinator for Health IT Thomas Keane. GovCIO reported the information and federal officials’ thoughts from a Friday event in D.C.
How Could Computable Data Improve Healthcare Workflows?
Keane described the transition to move toward computable health data and standardized information, reducing administrative burdens while supporting use cases such as real-time prescription benefits and prior authorization.
Amy Gleason, U.S. DOGE Service administrator and CMS deputy administrator, also identified prior authorization as a remaining challenge for the healthcare system.
CMS launched a working group in May to streamline electronic prior authorization for medical items and services. The effort comes ahead of a Jan. 1 implementation deadline for certain CMS-regulated health plans to implement and maintain a prior authorization API.
How Is CMS Expanding Its Health Technology Ecosystem?
CMS’ Health Technology Ecosystem has expanded from roughly 60 companies at launch to more than 900, with approximately 300 patients and caregivers participating in working groups.
CMS has also expanded its Medicare App Library to more than 30 certified applications, allowing patients to access health records, share information with physicians and use digital tools to obtain personalized information.
In June, the first wave of HealthTech Ecosystem tools similarly highlighted digital check-in capabilities, patient-facing applications and efforts to replace paper-based and manual processes with interoperable digital services.
In September, CMS created the Office of Health Technology and Products, led by Amy Gleason, to modernize existing technology and develop digital products serving Medicare, Medicaid and marketplace programs. The office works alongside CIO Patrick Newbold’s organization, which continues to oversee enterprise IT, cybersecurity, cloud migrations and the operationalization of technology products.
What Does CMS’ AI Strategy Mean for Health Technology?
Gleason said AI applications will depend on the data they can access and cautioned that applying AI to fragmented healthcare systems could accelerate existing inefficiencies rather than resolve them.
She identified public trust, a reliable data foundation, clear rules and payment for technologies that demonstrate better outcomes and lower costs as requirements for that model.
CMS Chief Information Officer Patrick Newbold previously said the agency is moving away from measuring AI success primarily through usage and instead focusing on whether technology produces meaningful results.
