CARIN Alliance: Consumer-Directed Health Data Exchange
The CARIN Alliance is a multi-sector industry collaboration developing FHIR implementation guides for consumer-directed health data exchange. Their work underlies the CMS Patient Access API, Blue Button 2.0, and emerging consumer health app integrations.
Key CARIN implementation guides
- CARIN BB (Consumer-Directed Payer Data Exchange) — Blue Button 2.0 successor; payer claims data flows to patient-authorized apps.
- CARIN Code Systems Framework — standardizes the code systems used in payer data (CPT, ICD-10, NDC, CARC, RARC, etc.).
- CARIN Common Payer Consumer Data Set (CPCDS) — the canonical data elements for payer-to-consumer exchange.
Why CARIN matters in 2026
The CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule requires Medicare Advantage plans, state Medicaid programs, and QHPs on the federal Marketplace to provide patient-facing FHIR APIs based on CARIN specifications. Patients can authorize third-party apps to pull their claims, EOB, and clinical data.
Where Vizier fits
For provider analytics, CARIN-format payer data exchanges are increasingly available via patient-mediated authorization (a patient enrolling in care management can authorize the provider to receive their CARIN-format payer data). Vizier ingests CARIN data alongside EHR-pulled clinical data for the most complete cross-payer view.