Top tech companies to work with Trump administration on improving health care data access for older, disabled Americans
The initiative, which President Trump is expected to unveil Wednesday at the White House, would create a system to ease the exchange of patient information, sources familiar with the plan told CBS News.
Several companies, including Oracle and Microsoft, plan to sign pledges to work on the initiative, according to multiple sources.
In May, the Trump administration sought public input on how to modernize the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' digital health care services.
The announcement comes on the 60th anniversary of the Social Security Amendments, which were signed on July 30, 1965, and established Medicare and Medicaid.
Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the first Trump administration, was invited to attend the White House announcement. She now oversees Oracle's Health and Life Sciences division.
White House spokespeople declined to comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Business News
37 minutes ago
- Time Business News
Everyday Items, Serious Risks: New Report Reveals the Hidden Dangers Lurking in American Homes
Our home may feel like our sanctuary, but according to new findings by Claggett, Sykes and Garza, it could be a hotspot for hidden hazards. A recent study reveals that 1 in 26 Americans are injured by everyday items in their own homes each year, with over 12.7 million visiting emergency rooms in 2023 alone for product-related injuries. Conducted using data from the National Safety Council and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the study explores the most dangerous household items, which demographics are most at risk, and why these accidents keep happening. According to the research, household injuries aren't freak accidents; they're alarmingly routine. The leading culprits are often fixtures and items we interact with daily: Stairs, floors, and landings – 2.7 million injuries annually – 2.7 million injuries annually Beds, pillows, mattresses – 923,390 injuries – 923,390 injuries Chairs and sofas – 615,276 – 615,276 Bath and shower fixtures – 542,586 – 542,586 Exercise equipment – 482,886 Other risky items include furniture that tips over, kitchen appliances, curling irons, and even space heaters. Many of these injuries result in fractures, concussions, sprains, burns, and lacerations, some severe enough to require hospitalization. The data shows that vulnerable age groups suffer the most. Children ages 0–4 experienced over 1.25 million injuries, often from toys, unanchored furniture, falls, or burns. Seniors over 85 also rank among the most at-risk groups, suffering nearly 800,000 injuries in 2023. The study also finds high injury rates among teens, particularly ages 10–19, due to sports equipment, scooters, and recreational gadgets. Meanwhile, adults aged 20–64 face risks from tools, kitchen gear, and exercise equipment. 'The data shows that injuries span the entire human lifespan, but toddlers, teens, and older adults are especially vulnerable,' says a spokesperson from Claggett, Sykes & Garza. 'From furniture tip-overs to stairs and household tools, risks are everywhere.' Injury risk skyrockets during summer months, when outdoor products like grills, lawnmowers, trampolines, and swimming pools are in frequent use. The Fourth of July holiday alone sees a sharp spike in injuries due to fireworks, with children accounting for nearly a million ER visits between June and August. The study also uncovers a troubling gender disparity. Women suffer nearly 60% of all consumer product injuries, especially from furniture, kitchen appliances, rugs, and personal care tools. This isn't due to clumsiness; it's a product design problem. Many household items are made with male dimensions in mind, ignoring women's ergonomics, strength, or routines. Women also spend more time interacting with childcare products and home goods, products with a high risk of injury or recall. 'Product safety has a gender bias issue,' the report notes. 'From tools and gloves made for larger hands to appliances tested primarily on male users, many products simply weren't designed with women in mind.' While some accidents stem from user error, design flaws, poor labeling, and lack of safety warnings are major contributors. Even basic instructions are often unclear or incomplete, particularly with grooming devices, kitchen tools, or fitness equipment. The rise of cheap, counterfeit products, especially online, only makes things worse. Items like off-brand chargers, toys, or unregulated tools can cause electric shocks, burns, toxic exposure, and more. Packaging issues also play a role, especially in households with children. Unsecured medicine bottles or sharp packaging edges have led to poisoning, cuts, and choking incidents. Technology presents a new challenge: e-bikes, wearable devices, and AI tools often hit the market before thorough safety testing or regulation. Safety is being outpaced by innovation, and consumers are paying the price. Several well-known brands have made headlines due to dangerous product flaws: Future Motion One-Wheel Scooters – 4 deaths and multiple serious injuries reported – 4 deaths and multiple serious injuries reported Fitbit – Over 115 reports of burns, some second and third-degree – Over 115 reports of burns, some second and third-degree Apple Watch – Reports of burn injuries and contact dermatitis – Reports of burn injuries and contact dermatitis Rad Power E-Bikes – 137 crash-related injury reports – 137 crash-related injury reports Conair Blow Dryers – Multiple fire and burn incidents Product recalls rose by 10.6% in 2023, hitting a seven-year high with 3,301 separate recall events across consumer sectors. Yet these are reactive measures, often coming after harm is already done. 'We're seeing more recalls, but not necessarily safer products,' says the Claggett, Sykes & Garza team. 'Consumers deserve proactive protection—not apologies after the fact.' The firm recommends a multi-pronged approach to reduce injuries: Enforce human-centered product design that accounts for different ages, body types, and lifestyles that accounts for different ages, body types, and lifestyles Update safety testing to reflect real-world usage patterns to reflect real-world usage patterns Regulate counterfeit goods more strictly, especially online more strictly, especially online Improve labeling, education, and product warnings Push for gender-inclusive standards in product development If you or a loved one has suffered an injury from a product at home, Claggett, Sykes & Garza offers compassionate, expert legal support. 'We believe every consumer has the right to feel safe in their own home,' says the firm. 'When companies cut corners or ignore safety standards, we're here to hold them accountable.' TIME BUSINESS NEWS
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
A key habit boosts colorectal cancer survival rates — as docs see ‘tremendous increase' in young people with the disease
Don't stall — your butt is on the line. Nearly 53,000 Americans are expected to die of colorectal cancer this year, making it one of the deadliest cancers in the US. Though the death rate has been declining in older adults, it has been steadily rising among people younger than 55 since the 1990s. Because of this worrisome trend, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered its recommendation for starting colorectal cancer screening from age 50 to 45 in 2021. The American Cancer Society (ACS) made the same suggestion in 2018 for people at average risk for the disease. 4 Though the colorectal cancer death rate has been declining in older adults, it has been steadily rising among people younger than 55 since the 1990s. ryanking999 – New research out Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows the guidance is working. Colorectal cancer screening among Americans aged 45 to 49 rose by 62% from 2019 to 2023. 'It's not only thrilling to see the increase in colorectal cancer screening among younger adults, but also how it likely ties into rises in earlier stage diagnosis as noted in the other ACS-led paper,' said lead study author Jessica Star, an ACS associate scientist for cancer risk factors and screening surveillance research. The increase in screenings appears to have paved the way for an uptick in diagnoses of early-stage colorectal cancer among 45- to 49-year-olds. Early stage typically means the disease hasn't spread beyond the colon or rectum. Early-stage diagnoses in 45- to 49-year-olds rose from 11.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2021 to 17.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2022, according to a study also published Monday in JAMA. 4 Because of this concerning trend, the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommendation for starting colorectal cancer screening from age 50 to 45 in 2021. A colonoscopy, a popular screening method, is shown here. ShvedKristina – Early detection can significantly improve survival rates and treatment outcomes. 'We still have a long way to go,' Star said. 'Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45-49 remains suboptimal and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status.' Colonoscopies, when a doctor uses a long, thin, flexible tube to examine the colon for abnormalities, spiked 43% and stool-based testing jumped more than 5-fold from 2019 to 2023 in the 45 to 49 group. Every racial and ethnic group underwent more screenings, as people without a high school diploma and uninsured people sat on the sidelines. ACS warns that screening is more important than ever. Advanced-stage colorectal cancer has risen 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults younger than 45 and even more sharply in the past decade in people 45 to 54. 4 Scientists aren't exactly sure why colorectal cancer patients are getting younger. Several factors could be to blame. Nadzeya – 'I've been in practice for 25 years, and I can tell you over the last 10 years and particularly over the last five years, we have seen a tremendous increase in cancer in young patients,' Dr. David Rivadeneira — director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Huntington Hospital and a colorectal cancer specialist, who was not involved in the new research — told The Post. 'We never used to see this,' he added. 'This used to be a diagnosis you give to someone in their mid-50s, 60s, 70s or 80s.' Scientists aren't exactly sure why colorectal cancer patients are getting younger. They have pointed the finger at the prevalence of obesity, sedentary lifestyles, the Western diet, excess sugar consumption and environmental factors such as pollutants in the air, soil and water. Rivadeneira noted that he now recommends a colonoscopy for people with any concerning symptoms, no matter their age. Common colorectal cancer symptoms include changes in bathroom habits, blood in stool, stomach pain or cramping, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. Surgery is the primary treatment for most colon cancers, with survival rates influenced by the stage of the disease. 4 Common colorectal cancer symptoms include changes in bathroom habits, blood in stool, stomach pain or cramping, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. ryanking999 – Stage 1 colon cancer is curable 90% of the time with just surgery and no other treatment, Rivadeneira said. Stage 2 — when the tumor is larger and has grown through the bowel wall but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes — has a survival rate of 80% to 85%. 'When you go to Stage 3, now it's spread to the lymph nodes, it drops down to the 60% mark,' Rivadeneira said. 'So the sooner the tumors are detected, the higher the cure rate and again, no need for chemotherapy or any additional treatment besides the surgery.'
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
National health coordinator wants to certify how data moves
WASHINGTON WATCH On the same day last week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rolled out plans to ease the flow of health information, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT made two fairly significant announcements at an event in the Eisenhower building. 'The first was that we were going to continue our work on certification, and that this was going to include certification of APIs to improve interoperability,' Tom Keane told Ruth. 'The other thing I talked about is how we were going to enforce the information blocking.' Keane did not specify a timeline for when the agency would start certifying what are known as APIs, which are the means by which information is sent and received between applications. He also didn't provide information about when or how that the ONC would start enforcing information blocking, the practice of preventing payers, patients, and providers from accessing electronic health information. The agency hasn't yet penalized companies that unreasonably limit access to health data. Ryan Howells, a partner at health care policy consulting firm Leavitt Partners, says that these changes could unclog data congestion and pave the way for better use of technology in health care. 'It will unleash more health care technology innovation than we've ever seen both inside and outside the EHR,' said Howells, a partner at health care policy consulting firm Leavitt Partners, who published a paper earlier this year proposing that the ONC start certifying the way data transfers instead of focusing on EHR features. He said this will incentivize EHR companies to make it easier to move health data out of the silos it sits in. ONC also dropped new rules. The finalized rules were a subset of those proposed last year, under former President Joe Biden, that support President Donald Trump's desire to make prior authorization less arduous. In June, Trump secured commitments from the largest health insurers in the country that they would improve the process of obtaining prior authorization. Here's what's in ONC's HTI-4 final rule: — Adds new certification criteria enabling prescribers to check patients' benefit information in real time — Updates its baseline standard for e-prescribing, for the first time in a decade and requires that prescriber systems support functionality for electronic prior authorization of prescriptions — Requires electronic health record companies to follow ONC guidelines to help standardize electronic prior authorization What does all this mean? One big takeaway is that CMS is driving the agenda for how data flows between entities in health care and ONC is playing a supporting role. Also, despite Trump's overall deregulatory approach, it does seem that the administration is willing to push forward some rules. Brendan Keeler, interoperability policy lead at tech consultancy HTD Health, told POLITICO he wouldn't discount the industry pledges that Trump has sought as a mere stunt. 'This isn't a pledge, this is a competition,' Keeler said of the Trump executive order unveiled last week. 'If they don't get what they want, it can turn very punitive very quick.' WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. The pandemic probably aged your brain— even if you didn't get covid-19, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. However, there is mildly good news for those who never contracted the virus: accelerated brain aging was only correlated to reduced cognitive performance in covid-19 infected participants. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. AROUND THE AGENCIES The Federal Trade Commission is mapping the future of competition in the drug market. It will host a third and final listening session this afternoon on how the agency can use its authority to help lower drug prices in the U.S. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order urging federal agencies to ensure 'federal health care programs, intellectual property protections, and safety regulations are optimized to provide access to prescription drugs at lower costs to American patients and taxpayers.' Part of that order gave the FTC 180 days to conduct listening sessions on reducing anticompetitive behavior from drug manufacturers and write a final report. In its sessions, the FTC has looked at claims that drugmakers stifle generic or biosimilar competition and preserve market dominance through price-fixing, rebates and fraudulent entries in the so-called Orange Book, which lists Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. The FTC is also reviewing the role of pharmacy benefit managers, which negotiate drug costs for insurers and employers, in drug pricing. 'To promote competitive pharmaceutical markets, we need to identify and eliminate all forms of rent-seeking activity that allow companies to reap financial rewards that are entirely out of proportion to their contribution to genuine innovation in pharmaceuticals,' FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said during the agency's July 24 session. He has already initiated antitrust enforcement: In May, the FTC sent letters to Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Covis Pharma, Mylan Specialty, Novartis and three Teva entities, disputing more than 200 patent listings in the Orange Book. This third session, titled 'Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices,' is expected to include discussions about how the FTC could use its authority to increase market competition and determine what new laws would be needed to support that effort.
