Medicare's AI push snarls patients and doctors in errors and delays
Summary
Medicare has started a pilot program in six states that requires doctors to get approval before certain medical procedures, aiming to reduce fraud and unnecessary treatments. However, this new system has caused delays, confusion, and extra trips for patients and doctors, leading to frustration during its early rollout.Key Facts
- The pilot program began in January 2026 in Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
- It requires prior authorization for 13 medical services that Medicare believes are often misused or involve fraud.
- Patients like Bill Curry had to make extra trips and wait longer to get treatments such as epidural injections.
- The program uses artificial intelligence to help decide which procedures need approval.
- The rollout was very fast; announced in June 2025 and started just six months later in January 2026.
- Doctors and healthcare groups say they were not prepared for the quick changes and found the new rules confusing.
- Medicare officials say the goal is to reduce inappropriate care without delaying needed treatments.
- The program targets services where Medicare spending has rapidly increased due to concerns about fraud.
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