Tech Lobbying Channel Emerges in CMS Health Tech Workspace

A government-run Slack workspace established by U.S. health regulators in August 2025 has become a channel for tech leaders to engage with health policy officials, raising concerns about potential res

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created a government-run Slack workspace in August 2025 with 1,700 participants as of February 2026. Key figures included CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and Amy Gleason, who leads CMS' Office of Health Technology and Products. The workspace featured representatives from Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, Apple, Google, and 8VC—alongside health tech firms like Oura Health and Palantir. CMS officials described the initiative as a 'voluntary technical collaboration' under the 'Health Technology Ecosystem' program, which allows health apps to bill Medicare for services like wearable device tracking. The Medicare App Library currently supports 24 commercial apps for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.

The workspace's code of conduct explicitly states it does not constitute an advisory committee and would not be used to obtain advice for health officials. CMS declined to confirm the workspace's legality, while the FDA did not respond to requests for comment. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly stated AI tools are 'much better informed than any doctor in the country,' reflecting the tech industry's influence.

This channel risks creating friction in healthcare access by potentially prioritizing corporate AI solutions over patient needs. If the workspace evolves into a de facto policy advisory mechanism—despite CMS' claims it is not an official committee—it could restrict affordable care options for vulnerable populations by favoring tech-driven models over traditional healthcare. The current setup, with few patient advocates among participants, suggests a narrow focus on commercial AI applications.

What to watch: Whether CMS maintains the workspace as a 'voluntary' channel or formalizes it into an advisory body. The initiative's legality remains unconfirmed, and the absence of patient representation raises questions about equitable access to care. The source notes the workspace was not formally announced through federal regulatory channels, and CMS insists it is not an advisory committee per its code of conduct.

Source: KFF Health News