Trump admin using AI to deny medical care for seniors in disastrous experiment
Vendors rolling out AI have an "incentive to deny as many claims as possible."
In January, the Trump administration launched a pilot program that utilized artificial intelligence to approve or reject certain treatments for Medicare patients—a senior healthcare program that didn't previously require doctors to seek prior authorization. However, the program quickly drew harsh criticism. Technical issues, lengthy decision delays, puzzling denials, distressed doctors, and suffering patients became commonplace.
These concerning reports were substantiated earlier this month when the Electronic Frontier Foundation, after securing federal documents through litigation, revealed the full extent of the program, also known as WISeR. Healthcare providers shared feedback describing the program as "a disgrace to the human race" and reported witnessing patients in excruciating pain while waiting for treatment.
As the situation grows increasingly worrisome, lawmakers have been pressing for answers and a halt to the program. The Government Accountability Office had already found in May that Trump officials had not followed proper procedure in establishing the program, casting doubt on its legality. Despite these concerns, the program seems to be progressing without interruption, with plans to expand in the future.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
