CMS establishes new office to modernize healthcare technology

CMS established the Office of Health Technology and Products on June 9, 2026, creating a new organizational body to lead the modernization of Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP digital infrastructure.

What happened

CMS established the Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP) to provide enterprise leadership for healthcare technology modernization across its programs. The OHTP oversees digital product design, delivery, and operations, including beneficiary-, provider-, and state-facing systems. The office works in close coordination with the CMS Chief Information Officer and operates under CIO-led IT governance, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, and capital planning oversight.

The OHTP contains new groups and divisions. The Open Source Program Group develops open-source policies and guidance across CMS and HHS. The Standards & Interoperability Group leads CMS's interoperability strategy, split into a Division of Data and Interoperability Platforms and a Division of Policy. The Product Development Group manages the full CMS digital product portfolio through a Division of Core Products and a Division of External Products, which oversees beneficiary-facing platforms like Medicare.gov. Digital Service at CMS rounds out the office, handling short-term, high-impact technology.

Going deeper

The OHTP's mandate includes a range of functions, including:

• Leading modernization of Medicare claims and payment processing platforms to improve scalability and long-term sustainability.
• Overseeing identity, access, and trust services, including modern authentication and identity management aligned with zero-trust governance under OMB Memoranda M-19-17 and M-22-09.
• Partnering with states to support Medicaid and CHIP technology modernization, covering eligibility, enrollment, data exchange, and program administration.
• Leading enterprise AI strategy across CMS digital products, advising CMS leadership on AI opportunities, risks, and governance.
• Ensuring a minimum of 20% of newly developed custom code is released as open-source software, consistent with OMB Memorandum M-16-21.
  

What was said

The Federal Register notice states the OHTP will provide "enterprise leadership and oversight for CMS healthcare technology modernization, digital products, and transformation of platforms and services supporting Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other CMS-administered programs."

In the know

FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is a standard for exchanging healthcare information electronically. The OHTP's Division of Data and Interoperability Platforms will develop FHIR-based APIs to enable secure data exchange between providers, payers, states, and beneficiaries.

Zero-trust architecture is a cybersecurity model that requires verification of every user and device attempting to access a system, rather than assuming anything inside a network is trusted. CMS's OHTP will align identity and access management with this framework, consistent with federal mandates.

Why it matters

The OHTP's creation is a modernization of systems that have historically struggled with fragmentation, outdated claims processing platforms, and inconsistent data exchange standards. The inclusion of a dedicated AI governance function is good because AI tools enter healthcare administration and clinical decision support, having a formal body within CMS to oversee their deployment and risk management sets a precedent for responsible adoption. For providers, payers, and health tech companies, the OHTP's interoperability and open-source mandates could reduce integration burden and lower barriers to building tools that connect with CMS systems.

The bottom line

Healthcare organizations and technology vendors that interact with CMS systems should monitor OHTP-led rulemaking and guidance, particularly around interoperability standards and AI governance, as these will shape compliance requirements and integration expectations.

Related: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide

FAQs

What is the OHTP?

The OHTP is a new CMS office created to modernize and oversee the technology and digital products that support Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

What programs does the OHTP support?

The OHTP supports Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and other CMS-administered programs.

What is open-source software and why does it matter?

Open-source software is publicly available code that anyone can use or build on, and the OHTP's Open Source Program Group will use it to reduce duplication and lower costs across government technology projects.

What is interoperability in healthcare?

Interoperability refers to the ability of different healthcare systems and software to communicate and share data seamlessly with one another.