Trump Officials Float Plan to Share Medical Data

Saturday, August 02, 2025

The Trump administration and the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced plans to begin building a new digital health information system, in collaboration with a growing list of private-sector companies.

Posted by LampLighter at 12:31 PM | 9 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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"Any initiative that proposes to collect sensitive data, particularly vast amounts of health information and medical records, must ensure that no one uses that information in ways people don't expect," EFF's @htsuka.bsky.social told @theregister.com. www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/ ...

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-- Electronic Frontier Foundation (@eff.org) Aug 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM

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More from the article ...

... For now, the CMS's initiative is still in its nascent stages. But the long-term goal is to enable a range of apps that will allow individual patients more control over who can access their medical data and when.

The apps are broadly divided into categories including conversational AI assistants, "kill the clipboard" apps for eliminating paper forms, and apps for managing obesity and diabetes.

Companies said to have signed up as partners in the scheme include medical records giants Epic Systems and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner, which Oracle acquired in 2022); tech titans such as Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

For-profit healthcare and insurance providers like Citizen Health, Polygon Health, and UnitedHealth Group are also aboard, as are data networks including CommonWell Health Alliance, CRISP, and eHealth Exchange. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-31 06:40 PM | Reply

Now AI will be using our medical records as another source of data.

What can possibly go wrong?

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-31 06:42 PM | Reply

"Strictly opt-in[,]" nope. There my interest ends. If you are stupid enough to opt-in then you deserve any bad effects.

Recently a contractor for my medicare advantage plan sent sent me a completed VA release for all my medical records. I chuckled as I threw it in the trash can. It was the second one. The result will be the same for any in the future.

#3 | Posted by et_al at 2025-07-31 07:02 PM | Reply

@#3 ... There my interest ends. If you are stupid enough to opt-in then you deserve any bad effects. ...

I agree.

But, when it is "opt-in," how difficult might the "opt-out" option be?

Is "opt-in" the default option presented?

I am reminded this about Amazon Prime mess...

FTC Takes Action Against Amazon for Enrolling Consumers in Amazon Prime Without Consent and Sabotaging Their Attempts to Cancel (2023)
www.ftc.gov

... Complaint outlines details of company's knowing failure to address non-consensual subscriptions and cancellation trickery ...

Big Tech seems to have mastered the ability to make (all but force) people to "opt-in." Their profits depend on it.)

So, I ask once again, what can possibly go wrong with my medical data being fed to Bg Tech's AI?

And then combine that with the data that Musk's DOGE efforts may have taken from Federal computing systems for his AI...

I am not optimistic.

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-31 07:18 PM | Reply

Recently a contractor for my medicare advantage plan sent sent me a completed VA release for all my medical records. I chuckled as I threw it in the trash can. It was the second one
#3 | Posted by et_al

To actually have a functioning system, and one that isn't okay with exploiting people:

It should be illegal for them to ask.

#5 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 07:31 PM | Reply

fwiw, my local hospital uses Oracle Health for patient access to their medical data.

Yeah, Oracle is a Big Tech company that may not be concerned about profits above all else.

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-31 07:51 PM | Reply

If you go to any hospital or clinic connected to a hospital, your data is probably already out there. They even share sensitive medical information with billing companies. They always find a way to get you to "opt in" with the fine print, especially if you have to go in for urgent care.

#7 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-08-02 12:45 PM | Reply

Denial of insurance because of pre-existing conditions is about to become much more frequent again. All the US healthcare system cares about is separating as many people from their money as possible, before they die. Soon, most will not have the option to pass their meager fortunes to their heirs. The healthcare capitalist's will make certain it all passes to their wealthy shareholders and executives.

#8 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-08-02 01:35 PM | Reply

#8: Spot on. Death, disease, and disability also allows US banks and creditors to repossess the meager possessions of those with unpayable debts: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com

#9 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-08-02 01:50 PM | Reply