TEFCA and Health Tech Ecosystem: A Collaborative Path to Seamless Data Sharing
Federal officials affirmed Thursday that the nationwide health data exchange framework, TEFCA, and the Health Technology Ecosystem initiative—launched by the Trump administration—are designed to work in tandem, not as competing efforts, to dramatically improve healthcare data sharing.
The Health Tech Ecosystem, a relatively new undertaking by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), seeks to streamline health data exchange through strategic partnerships with the private sector. Launched in July, the ecosystem also prioritizes expanding access to crucial digital tools, including solutions for chronic disease management and patient care navigation. This initiative complements the existing government-led Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which became operational at the close of 2023.
Accelerating Data Exchange Through Collaboration
During this week’s annual meeting of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, officials emphasized the collaborative nature of the two programs. According to a senior official, the ecosystem is intended to accelerate advancements in data exchange and provide significant benefits to regulatory bodies. “We view the work that they’re doing in CMS as an accelerator,” the official stated. “They can come up with solutions to problems that have long plagued network exchange.”
Innovations stemming from the Health Tech Ecosystem, such as advancements in digital identity verification and patient matching, could ultimately be integrated into TEFCA, explained Thomas Keane, assistant secretary for technology policy and the national coordinator for health information technology.
Addressing Long-Standing Challenges
The Trump administration set ambitious goals for the ecosystem, aiming to resolve the healthcare sector’s persistent data sharing obstacles. However, experts noted last year that the rollout lacked specific details regarding its ultimate functionality. Despite this, the initiative has gained significant traction, with participation growing to over 650 companies, a substantial increase from the initial 60 at launch, according to Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service and strategic advisor to the CMS.
On March 31, the ecosystem is scheduled to release preliminary findings from its work on developing a national provider directory. This directory will include vital information on provider participation in various data exchange networks and instructions on how to establish connections. “It’ll be an iterative process,” Gleason said. “The very first, very baby version will be March 31 and focus on interoperability.”
TEFCA Momentum and Record Exchange Volume
The momentum behind TEFCA is also building. The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) reported Wednesday that nearly 500 million health records have been exchanged through the framework to date—a significant leap from the approximately 10 million records exchanged in January 2025. This rapid growth underscores the increasing effectiveness of TEFCA in facilitating seamless data exchange across the healthcare landscape.
The combined efforts of TEFCA and the Health Tech Ecosystem signal a concerted push toward a more connected and efficient healthcare system, promising improved patient care and streamlined operations for providers and regulators alike.
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