HHS Invests in AI Platform to Integrate NIH and CMS Data for Public Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing in an advanced artificial intelligence platform developed by C3 AI to enhance data quality, governance, and automation of complex administrative workflows. This initiative aims to unify disease-specific National Institutes of Health (NIH) data with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claims and associated state registry datasets, enabling integrated research, program integrity, and public health analysis at a national scale. The AI platform represents a significant step towards creating a modern, AI-ready architecture designed to manage large and complex federal health data systems efficiently. Collaborating partners include Fleet Health, a data science vendor with expertise from leading technology institutions, contributing to the development of a zero-trust platform ensuring security and interoperability across HHS divisions. This collaboration supports the "OneHHS" strategy, which seeks to integrate AI technologies department-wide, involving key agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This development follows the release of HHS' AI Strategic Plan earlier in the year, outlining objectives to accelerate AI-driven innovations in healthcare, improve medical product development, enhance clinical safety and outcomes, and optimize benefits delivery. The department's functional AI strategy emphasizes making AI tools accessible to its workforce to foster innovation and improve operational efficiency in healthcare programs. Senior leadership within HHS and legislative members highlight the importance of secure, interoperable AI infrastructure that facilitates biomedical discovery, strengthens program integrity, and improves public health outcomes for millions of Americans. This approach aligns with broader government efforts to build trust through technological leadership and data-driven health initiatives. The integration of NIH, CMS, and other federal health data into a unified AI platform positions HHS to better forecast risks, respond to public health threats, and enable comprehensive data analytics to support decision-making. This strategy marks an evolution in federal health data governance, leveraging AI to enhance nationwide health program outcomes and policy development.