AMA advocacy drives major federal action on health data modernization

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent initiative to overhaul health data infrastructure promises to deliver complete, usable patient records at the point of care and reflects persistent advocacy from the American Medical Association (AMA). 

The AMA has sought to improve patient care through better information sharing and is encouraged that HHS has responded with the Health Technology Ecosystem that will streamline health data exchange, reduce administrative burdens and enhance patient access.  

“This is a significant step toward fixing the broken health data system that frustrates physicians and fails patients,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. “We applaud HH Secretary Kennedy for listening to the physician community and taking bold steps to modernize how health data is shared, secured and used.”

In the AMA’s June 2025 comment letter (PDF), the AMA urged HHS to build a more connected, transparent and patient-focused digital health system. AMA’s priorities include:

• Certified EHR Interoperability: Requiring all certified electronic health records (EHRs) to expose complete clinical data—including imaging—through standardized application program interfaces (APIs).
• Data Quality and Affordability: Eliminating duplications in longitudinal records, safeguarding sensitive notes, and prohibiting excessive data exchange fees.
• Smart AI Oversight: Establishing guardrails for AI-enabled digital assistants, including transparency, usability testing and human override mechanisms.
• Digital Identity and Access: Opposing centralized biometric hubs and instead supporting decentralized, wallet-based digital identity solutions to protect patient privacy.
• Fixing Information Blocking: Advocating for a simple “Report a Sharing Problem” button in patient portals to direct complaints to responsible parties and increase public awareness of patient access rights.
• Streamlined Prior Authorization: Urging HHS to certify payer APIs and phase in digital quality measures only when technology is ready -- protecting small and rural practices from unsustainable administrative burdens.

“This initiative responds directly to what physicians have been asking for—better data, less red tape, and smarter use of technology,” Dr. Mukkamala said. “It’s a meaningful shift that can reduce physician burnout and help care teams focus more on patients and less on paperwork. HHS’s actions respond to several AMA priorities, and more work still needs to be done.”

The HHS’ initiative includes high-impact tools and innovations:

• A National Provider Directory to better connect patients and physicians.
• Modernized digital identity systems for Medicare.gov users.
• Digital insurance cards to speed up claims and payment processing.
• A new trusted app library and redesigned Plan Finder that now displays in-network physicians. 

The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care.  The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.