Key Takeaways

• CMS launched a new Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP), overseeing over 90 health IT responsibilities including AI and interoperability.
• Amy Gleason will lead OHTP, which is positioned as the primary federal body for health IT execution following recent HHS restructuring.
• The consolidation of oversight could streamline vendor compliance and accelerate the adoption of health technology solutions across Medicare and Medicaid.

Overview of the New Office of Health Technology and Products

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a new Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP) to guide federal health IT strategy. Announced on June 11, this office includes eight divisions and encompasses over 90 specific responsibilities, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), interoperability, and claims modernization.

Amy Gleason will lead this office as deputy administrator and chief product officer. With prior experience as a strategic advisor for CMS, Gleason has been instrumental in the agency’s Health Tech Ecosystem initiative, which promotes data sharing and digital health adoption across federal programs.

The formation of OHTP is a key outcome of a broader reorganization within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This restructuring, initiated in March, refocused the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on health IT policy and standards, reducing its scope while enhancing CMS’s role as the main federal authority in health IT implementation.

The extensive responsibilities outlined for OHTP signal a significant redistribution of authority over federal health IT operations. According to Jodi Daniel, a former ONC official, the substantial list of functions associated with OHTP marks a pivotal shift in the oversight of health IT at the federal level.

OHTP’s operational remit is extensive and will directly impact health systems, payers, and IT vendors by overseeing enterprise AI strategy, managing interoperability standards, and modernizing CMS claims systems. This means that vendor contracts and compliance pathways will increasingly hinge on OHTP’s priorities instead of ONC’s.

As private sector investments in health technology surge—with digital health funding reaching $7.4 billion in early 2026—OHTP’s governance becomes particularly relevant. The new office now serves as the single regulatory counterpart for health IT vendors, simplifying interactions that previously involved both ONC and CMS.

Vendors developing products for CMS data systems will need to navigate a consolidated regulatory landscape. The office’s consolidated authority may improve certification processes but may also impose stricter compliance standards depending on its guidelines.

Health systems evaluating AI tools for revenue cycle management will need to consider OHTP’s regulatory outlook, especially as hospitals increasingly turn to external vendors for AI solutions.

The operational success of OHTP will largely be gauged by its ability to deliver timely implementation guidance and update interoperability requirements. Stakeholders must align current and future vendor contracts with OHTP’s scope and monitor its rulemaking closely to adapt to new federal standards governing health IT.

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