AI Death Panels

Under this program, CMS will contract with for-profit companies to use “enhanced technologies,” such as artificial intelligence (AI), to decide whether certain services should be covered by Medicare.

On June 27, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a new pilot program called Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR).

Under this program, CMS will contract with for-profit companies to use “enhanced technologies,” such as artificial intelligence (AI), to decide whether certain services should be covered by Medicare.

The program is set to run for six years beginning on January 1, 2026 in six states, including Ohio – making it particularly urgent and relevant.

I spoke out against this program during the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing last week, and I’ve also introduced a resolution calling on Medicare to stop it immediately.

This program takes the power that private health insurance companies currently have to deny people care – which already results in excessive delays and the loss of life – and brings it to Medicare.

This program is using unvetted AI models to deny treatment to our most vulnerable – which is why some are calling them AI death panels.

People > Profits

To make matters worse, Medicare will pay these companies a share of the savings generated from rejecting claims – which means that these companies will make more money when they deny claims, incentivizing them to deny treatment over the advice of doctors.

This program is putting the profits of AI and tech companies over people’s lives – and it will lead to people getting hurt and, in some cases, dying.

This program poses serious risks to seniors’ access to critical healthcare and must be stopped immediately.

We must ensure patients have access to the healthcare they need, and I’ll keep pushing for full product disclosures, proper vetting, clear accountability, and an independent review.