U.S. Advances TEFCA Health Data Exchange, Deploys AI Agents to Improve End-of-Life Care Decisions

U.S. health data has long been fragmented across hospitals, insurers and disparate systems. ASTP/ONC is using TEFCA to create a nationwide foundation for trusted data exchange and governance, while CMS is promoting a Health Tech Ecosystem centered on FHIR APIs to connect claims and clinical data. These efforts have significant implications for patients' control over their data and the ability to deploy AI at scale.

A HIMSS26 report published on March 17, 2026, said BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine trained an LLM-based multi-agent system on more than four years of data, with clinicians retaining final decision-making authority. Physician response rates exceeded 90%, outpatient advance care planning completion rates rose by nearly 25% and administrative time fell by more than 20%. The investment amount was not disclosed.