AHLA’s Speaking of Health Law | Sponsored by Clearwater
The CMS Health Technology Ecosystem Initiative signals a broader shift in how health data is expected to move across providers, payers, networks, and consumer-facing tools.
In this episode of AHLA Speaking of Health Law, Ann Tiffany of Clearwater is joined by Melissa Solis and David Lee to examine what that shift means in practice. The conversation looks at interoperability policy, FHIR-based exchange, patient-directed access, privacy obligations, contractual risk, and the governance challenges that emerge as data moves beyond traditional clinical settings.
Listen to the Episode
This discussion explores the legal and policy questions surrounding CMS’s Health Technology Ecosystem Initiative, or HTE, and the CMS Interoperability Framework that underpins it.
Melissa Solis and David Lee explain why this moment is about more than technical interoperability. As CMS pushes for broader data sharing across providers, payers, consumer apps, and digital health tools, organizations are facing a more complex mix of privacy exposure, governance demands, contractual obligations, and liability risk. The discussion also looks at the expanding role of FHIR, the limits of voluntary participation and self-attestation, and the practical steps healthcare organizations should take now to assess readiness.
Speakers
Ann Tiffany
Consultant, Clearwater
Ann Tiffany moderates the discussion and brings a practical healthcare legal and compliance perspective to the conversation.
Melissa Solis
Data Privacy, Interoperability, and Technology Attorney, Cooper Smith Brockelman
Melissa Solis focuses on the legal and operational realities of interoperability, privacy, governance, contracts, and liability across healthcare data-sharing environments.
David Lee
Principal, Leavitt Partners
David Lee is a nationally recognized health policy and interoperability expert who brings deep experience in federal policy, healthcare data exchange, and digital health transformation.
Why this episode matters
Healthcare interoperability is no longer just a compliance issue tied to discrete regulatory requirements. It is becoming a broader governance issue that touches privacy, security, identity, patient access, contract structure, and enterprise risk.
For healthcare attorneys, compliance leaders, digital health companies, and healthcare organizations more broadly, this episode offers a practical look at what may be coming next and where legal exposure is likely to emerge first.
Hear the full conversation on how CMS’s Health Technology Ecosystem Initiative is reshaping expectations around interoperability, governance, and legal risk.
About Clearwater
Clearwater is the leading provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions for the healthcare industry, helping organizations align privacy, security, and business objectives to achieve resilience and trust.
