The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) convened on May 7, 2026, to discuss how health IT can support a more affordable and innovative healthcare system.

The meeting focused on the role health IT can play in reducing administrative burden, improving access to prescription price information, and helping patients and providers have the information they need when they need it at the point of care. The meeting also introduced Eliel Oliveira and Katrina Miller Parrish as the new HITAC co-chairs.

Committee members received updates on ONC programs designed to advance health IT innovation:

• ONC shared progress on the EHIgnite Challenge, a national competition encouraging the development of tools that help patients better understand and use their electronic health information.
• The committee heard updates on ONC’s Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health IT program. Current projects include efforts to improve remote monitoring for hypertension and to simplify patient access to health information through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA®). ONC recently announced 2026 LEAP funding; applications are due July 16.

The meeting also featured two expert panel discussions, both centered on improving affordability in healthcare. The first panel explored opportunities to streamline prior authorization and other administrative processes through greater interoperability and automation. A second panel focused on access and affordability from the consumer perspective, including how greater transparency and improved data exchange can help individuals better understand healthcare costs before they receive care.

Video of the full meeting is available on HealthIT.gov. Watch the recording.

The HITAC Annual Report Workgroup is meeting regularly, and the HITAC Adopted Standards Task Force is expected to kick off later this year. Check out the full schedule of upcoming HITAC meetings, which are open to the public; the next HITAC meeting is scheduled for September 24, 2026.

We encourage interested parties to participate during the public comment portion of each meeting.