The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced plans to create a centralized directory of vetted digital health tools designed to help beneficiaries find trusted, secure apps more easily.
The Medicare App Library is part of the CMS' Digital Health Tech Ecosystem, a broader push to modernize digital access and promote interoperability across the health care system.
The directory will include vetted mobile and web applications, technology-enabled care services, digital health platforms, and innovative care delivery tools. All the apps listed will undergo a rigorous evaluation to ensure they meet high standards for security, privacy, clinical evidence, usability, and equity, the agency said.
CMS calls the directory a “movement” and a “call to action.” Rather than a mandate or regulation, the agency said the library is a collaborative effort to bring health care into the modern era. “We are calling on health app developers, tech-enabled organizations, and innovators to voluntarily align around a shared framework for data and access that empowers people, improves care, and accelerates progress.” the announcement states.
The tools will be categorized in three areas:
Kill the clipboard: Apps designed to eliminate paper forms by using FHIR‑based data exchange for check‑ins and patient information sharing.
Conversational AI assistants: AI‑powered tools that offer personalized health guidance using secure access to medical history.
Diabetes & obesity management: Condition‑specific apps that provide personalized coaching and clinical monitoring.
For Medicare enrollees, the library aims to reduce confusion in an overcrowded digital health market by highlighting only tools that meet CMS standards for security, evidence, and ease of use. Apps must meet stringent requirements, such as identity verification to HIPAA‑aligned operations, to be included in the library. Participating organizations must also sign an interoperability pledge.