April 14, 2025
The Honorable Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Administrator Oz:
On behalf of the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), the nation’s leading authority on health information technology (IT), I extend my warmest congratulations on your confirmation as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a cardiothoracic surgeon, you have first-hand knowledge of the many challenges impacting the delivery of efficient, high-quality health care. WEDI stands ready to work with you and your colleagues at CMS to create a new era of efficient, innovative, and effective health care for all.
WEDI was formed in 1991 by then Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Geroge H.W. Bush Administration, Dr. Louis Sullivan. WEDI was designated in the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) legislation as an advisor to HHS and we have collaborated with every administration since the passage of that landmark legislation. Specifically, we had an effective working relationship with Administrator Seema Verma and were honored to have her present the keynote address at WEDI’s 2018 National Conference. We also appreciated the opportunity to assist her team at CMS from 2017 through 2020, offering recommendations on numerous health IT issues.
As one of the leading authorities on the use of health IT to improve information exchange, our priorities are to enhance the quality of care, improve efficiency, and reduce costs in our nation’s health care system. WEDI’s membership includes a broad coalition of organizations, including hospitals, medical and dental providers, health plans, vendors, federal and state government agencies, patient advocates, and standards development organizations. As a multi-stakeholder, consensus-building organization, WEDI offers a wealth of experience and knowledge in advising CMS and educating the industry on a wide range of private sector health IT initiatives and federal regulatory requirements.
As part of our commitment to working collaboratively with the federal government, we have representatives from CMS and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) who serve on our board of directors. Multiple individuals from both agencies participate in our workgroups and serve as faculty at our educational events. We also have representatives from state health departments on our board. This strong public-private partnership is essential to achieving our shared goal of a truly interoperable and effective health care ecosystem.
Our industry faces the ongoing challenges of reducing the burdens associated with administrative processes, automating data flow between providers and health plans, ensuring that consumers have access to the information they need to be partners in their care, and safeguarding the privacy and security of health data. As you begin to develop and then implement your priorities, we urge you to call on our diverse membership and expertise for input on a wide variety of technology and data exchange issues.
WEDI facilitates cross-industry collaboration through our many workgroups and educational activities and has a proven track record of working directly with CMS and engaging the industry at large. This strong public-private partnership is essential to achieving our shared goal of implementing the promises of both HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan legislation enacted in 2016. By working together, we believe industry adoption of effective health IT and use of standards-based data exchange solutions will accelerate.
In conclusion, I offer you our best wishes for great success as CMS Administrator and our organization looks forward to continuing our important partnership with your agency. Please contact me at 202.368.2675 or rtennant@wedi.org with any questions you may have or to discuss collaboration opportunities.
Sincerely,
/s/
Robert M. Tennant
Executive Director, WEDI
cc:
WEDI Board of Directors