The Medicare App Library is a page on Medicare.gov where Medicare lists health apps that have passed an independent review of how they protect your privacy and security. The apps are made by private companies, not by Medicare. Browsing the library is free, using any app is optional, and your Medicare coverage stays exactly the same whether you use one or not. You can find it at Medicare.gov/health-apps. (Full disclosure: Slothwise, the company behind this site, makes one of the apps listed there. More on that near the end.)

Why does the Medicare App Library exist?

For years, your Medicare information lived in paper statements, phone calls, and your Medicare.gov account. At the same time, app stores filled up with thousands of health apps, and there was no easy way to tell which ones took your privacy seriously.

In April 2026, Medicare opened the App Library to close that gap. It is one page where listed apps agree to follow strict rules about protecting your information, and Medicare reviews each app before it becomes fully available. Instead of searching an app store and hoping for the best, you can start from a list that has already been checked.

Is the Medicare App Library really from Medicare?

The library itself is a real part of Medicare.gov, run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs Medicare.

The apps inside it are not made by Medicare. They are made by private companies that applied and passed the review. Being listed means an app met Medicare's privacy and security requirements. It does not make the app part of Medicare, and Medicare does not require you to use any of them.

One good habit, at any age: when you want to look at the library, type Medicare.gov into your browser yourself and go from there. No one legitimate will call, text, or email you out of the blue insisting you install a health app or "verify" your Medicare number. If that happens, hang up.

What does "reviewed" actually mean for you?

Every app in the library had to clear a set of protections before it could appear. In plain terms:

• Someone independent checked its privacy and security practices. Not the company grading its own homework, but an outside review of how the app protects and handles health information.

• It can only see the Medicare information you choose to share. You decide whether to connect your Medicare data, and you can turn that sharing off.

• It is not allowed to sell or share your data. That is a condition of being in the library.

• It has to confirm you are really you. Before an app can show your records, you go through a secure identity check, which protects you against someone else pretending to be you.

None of this makes an app perfect, and it does not mean Medicare is recommending one app over another. It means the basics were checked by someone other than the company selling the app, which is more than you can say for most of what is in an app store.

Does it cost anything?

The library is free to browse. The apps set their own prices: some are free, and some charge a subscription or have paid features. Each app's listing shows its price up front, and the library's search tool lets you filter by price before you download anything, so you can see what is free. Nothing about the library changes your Medicare premiums or benefits.

What kinds of apps are in the library?

Broadly, the apps fall into a few groups:

• Apps that bring your health information together so your records, claims, and day-to-day health facts live in one place and are easier to understand.

• Everyday health and fitness apps for activity, sleep, and general wellness tracking.

• Apps for getting care, like finding doctors and booking appointments.

• Apps for specific situations, such as support during cancer care or help with nutrition.

Because the library lets you compare apps by their features, like managing health records, connecting to wearable devices, or sharing information with caregivers or providers, it is worth browsing with your own situation in mind rather than looking for one app that fits everyone.

How do you connect an app to your Medicare information?

The short version: you choose, you approve, and you stay in control.

1. Browse the library at Medicare.gov/health-apps and use the compare tool to narrow it down by the features, conditions, and price that matter to you.

2. Sign up with the app you picked, on its website or in its app.

3. When an app is fully available and asks permission to connect to your Medicare information, you approve it through a secure sign-in and identity check.

4. Change your mind anytime. You can disconnect an app from your Medicare information or stop using it whenever you like.

Take your time with each step. Nothing about this process is rushed, and no legitimate app will pressure you.

What can a listed app do, and what can it never do?

With your permission, a listed app can see the Medicare information you share, such as claims, and combine it with things you add yourself, like medications or readings from a fitness tracker. That is what lets it be useful.

What it cannot do: it cannot change your Medicare coverage, it cannot enroll you in a plan, and under the library's rules it cannot sell or share your data. An app is a tool for understanding and organizing, not a doorway into your benefits.

Do you have to use any of this?

No. Your benefits are identical whether you never touch an app or use three of them. Paper statements, the phone, and your Medicare.gov account all keep working exactly as before.

And for questions about your coverage or a confusing bill, the free, official help is still there: call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for free one-on-one counseling. The App Library adds options; it does not replace any of that.

Common questions

Is the Medicare App Library free? Browsing it is free. Individual apps set their own prices, and the library lets you filter by price. Check an app's cost before you sign up.

How do I know I am on the real page and not a scam? Type Medicare.gov into your browser yourself, then look for "health apps," or go directly to Medicare.gov/health-apps. Be suspicious of links that arrive by unexpected email, text, or phone call, even if they mention Medicare.

Will these apps sell my information? Apps in the library are not allowed to sell or share your data, and they can only access the Medicare information you choose to share.

Is this the same as Medicare's own app? No. Medicare has its own official app, called What's Covered, for checking what Original Medicare covers. The App Library is different: it is a list of apps made by private companies that can, with your permission, connect to your Medicare information.

What if I have a Medicare Advantage plan? Apps that connect to Medicare information can see your Part D (prescription drug) information, but not your Part A and Part B information. For those, check with your plan directly. Many apps are still useful either way, for things like organizing records and tracking your day-to-day health.

What if I try an app and change my mind? You can stop using an app and disconnect it from your Medicare information at any time. Trying one is not a commitment.

What if something goes wrong with an app? First, disconnect the app from your Medicare information. Then call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report what happened. If you believe your information was misused, you can also report it to the Office of Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov.

I help my parent with their Medicare. Can I look at this with them? Yes, and that is a good way to do it. Sit down together, browse the library, and let your parent approve any connection themselves through the secure sign-in. You can help compare features and prices without ever needing their password.

How can Slothwise help?

Slothwise is one of the apps listed in the Medicare App Library. It brings your health information together in one place, learns what is normal for you, and points out things that may be worth a closer look, in plain English. If a lab result, a claim, or a new medication leaves you with a question, you can simply ask. You can use it in the app or right from your text messages, and it is free to start, with no credit card.

Slothwise is one option, not the only one. The library's compare tool on Medicare.gov lets you weigh every listed app by the features you care about, and if your question is about coverage or a bill, 1-800-MEDICARE and your local SHIP program are free to call.

The short version

• The Medicare App Library is a real Medicare.gov page listing health apps that passed an independent privacy and security review.

• Browsing is free, apps set their own prices, and using any of it is optional. Your coverage does not change either way.

• Listed apps can only see what you choose to share, must verify your identity, and are not allowed to sell or share your data.

• Start at Medicare.gov/health-apps, take your time, and never install a health app because of an unexpected call, text, or email.

Slothwise is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government agency, and does not sell, endorse, or recommend any Medicare plan. This article is general information, not legal, financial, or medical advice. For questions about your specific coverage, contact 1-800-MEDICARE, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or a qualified professional. Last updated: July 2026.