CVS Health is preparing to launch Health100, a consumer platform that collects patient data from across the healthcare system and uses AI to guide medical decisions. The platform launches this year and promises to connect information that currently sits in separate systems.
The company first announced Health100 in December, building on data from its pharmacies, Aetna insurance, Caremark pharmacy benefits, and clinic network. But CVS now says it wants other healthcare companies to join the platform, including competitors.
How does it work?
Health100 aims to solve healthcare’s data problem by pulling information from multiple sources into one place. The platform will help patients in several key ways:
- Find and select healthcare providers based on specific medical needs
- Schedule appointments directly through the platform when possible
- Get cost estimates and insurance coverage information upfront
- Receive AI-powered recommendations for managing acute and chronic conditions
- Access care management support from pharmacists, including those outside CVS
CVS plans to gather patient data through several channels, according to company executive Ambrozie. The company will use qualified health information networks under the federal TEFCA program. It will also work with CMS Aligned Networks, healthcare companies that have pledged to improve data sharing.
Why does it matter?
Healthcare data lives in separate silos that don’t talk to each other. This creates major problems for patients and doctors:
- Patients repeat the same medical history at every appointment
- Doctors can’t see test results from other providers
- Important health information gets lost between visits
- Care coordination becomes nearly impossible
- Many systems still rely on fax machines for sharing information
CVS says it wants to compete on service quality rather than hoarding patient data. “We’re going to go very broad, working with anybody who wants to work with us,” Ambrozie said. “Including competitors. We need to compete with service, not on hoarding data.”
The context
Data sharing remains one of healthcare’s biggest challenges. Most medical information sits trapped in electronic health record systems that don’t communicate with each other. This fragmentation costs time, money, and sometimes puts patient safety at risk.
Several factors make the problem worse:
- Healthcare providers use different technology systems
- Privacy regulations create barriers to data sharing
- Companies have business incentives to keep data locked in their systems
- Legacy technology like fax machines still dominates communication
CVS has advantages in solving this problem. The company touches patients at multiple points – through prescriptions, insurance coverage, and medical care. This gives CVS access to more complete health pictures than most competitors.
But success will depend on whether other healthcare companies actually join the platform. Many previous attempts at health data sharing have failed because organizations preferred to maintain control over their information.