More than 60 major tech and healthcare firms, including Apple, Google, and Amazon, are partnering with the White House to overhaul how patients share and access data across the United States. The goal is simple: give patients direct control over their health records and finally eliminate the clipboard.
At the center of this push is a new federal framework designed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS Interoperability Framework sets the technical and legal foundation for health apps, networks, and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to communicate in a standardized, secure, and user-friendly way. This isn’t just another government tech blueprint. Companies are already building tools around it.
What the Plan Actually Changes
This federal-private partnership will focus on two key changes: first, streamlining how patients and providers exchange medical data; second, making digital health tools more accessible to patients so they can make informed decisions about their care.
Patients will soon be able to access their health records using personal apps and share them with doctors via QR codes or Smart Health Cards. The plan also introduces conversational AI assistants to help patients check symptoms, schedule appointments, and manage chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
In short, it’s a shift away from fragmented systems and toward a connected, app-driven ecosystem. Think less paper, fewer phone calls, and no more repeating your medical history at every new clinic.
Apple’s Job: Kill the Clipboard
Apple will work alongside companies like CVS Health, Google, Samsung, and UnitedHealth Group on one specific mission: end the use of physical intake forms in clinics. According to the CMS, this part of the initiative, dubbed “kill the clipboard,” will replace paper check-ins with secure digital alternatives.
These changes aren’t hypothetical. Thirty companies have already committed to building consumer-facing apps, which are expected to roll out in the coming months. Patients will use them to manage medications, schedule care, and interact with AI tools designed to simplify healthcare tasks.
According to the CMS website, all participating companies have signed a pledge to support this transition. The pledge commits them to returning visit records to patients in standardized formats and enabling seamless data transfers between health apps and providers. The aim is to reduce friction, improve access, and finally move past outdated, manual processes.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services outlined the initiative and its Interoperability Framework on its official site, which includes a full list of participating organizations and technical guidelines.
CMS confirmed Apple’s involvement and the pledge to eliminate paper intake forms in a press release that also named Zocdoc, Sharecare, and Flexpa as partners.
The Office for Civil Rights and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy are also leading the effort alongside CMS, coordinating policy alignment across agencies.
