CMS Launches New Office Focused on AI, Interoperability & Digital Health

CMS Establishes New Office of Health Technology and Products: Implications for AI, Interoperability, and Digital Health

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the creation of the Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP), a new organizational component charged with leading the agency’s health technology strategy and advancing digital modernization efforts across CMS-administered programs. The move reflects CMS’s growing focus on interoperability, artificial intelligence (AI), digital products, and healthcare data exchange, and signals that technology policy is becoming increasingly central to the agency’s regulatory and operational priorities.

What Is the OHTP?

According to CMS, OHTP will provide enterprise-wide leadership for healthcare technology modernization, oversee digital product development, support interoperability initiatives, and coordinate the agency’s approach to AI implementation. The office will also be responsible for advancing technology governance, improving public-facing digital services, and supporting modernization efforts for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The office will be led by Amy Gleason, who currently serves as a key advisor on CMS’s broader Health Tech Ecosystem initiative.

Why the Establishment of OHTP Matters

The establishment of OHTP represents a broader CMS commitment to digital healthcare infrastructure. By creating a dedicated office, CMS appears to be positioning itself to play a more active role in shaping the future of that infrastructure and advancing the benefits associated with it. Recent CMS initiatives have emphasized increased healthcare data sharing, patient access to health information, and the responsible deployment of AI-enabled tools. The creation of OHTP suggests these efforts will continue to expand, further building on the current administration’s vision for healthcare.

Key Questions for Industry

While CMS has outlined the office’s broad responsibilities, several important questions remain unanswered:

• How will CMS evaluate and govern the use of AI across agency programs and digital products?

• Will OHTP influence future reimbursement, certification, or coverage policies involving digital health technologies?

• To what extent will CMS leverage OHTP to accelerate interoperability requirements and data-sharing initiatives?

How Gardner Law Can Help

Healthcare providers, payors, digital health companies, health IT developers, and AI vendors should closely monitor OHTP’s activities. The office’s focus on interoperability, digital products, and AI governance may influence future CMS guidance, procurement opportunities, compliance expectations, and participation requirements in federal healthcare programs. Organizations that rely on healthcare data exchange or deploy AI-enabled technologies should consider whether their current governance, transparency, and interoperability strategies are aligned with CMS’s evolving priorities.

Although the full scope of OHTP’s authority remains to be seen, the office’s creation underscores a clear trend: CMS is positioning technology modernization as a core component of healthcare administration and policy. Stakeholders should expect continued agency attention to AI, digital health innovation, and data interoperability in the months ahead. Gardner Law has the compliance, regulatory, and privacy expertise to help organizations navigate a government increasingly focused on digital health and its myriad uses.