Barrett Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Protect Patients From AI Insurance Denials

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Tom Barrett (MI-07), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Buddy Carter (GA-01), and Kim Schrier (WA-08) introduced the bipartisan Doctors Not AI Act to ensure that artificial intelligence cannot make or dictate health insurance coverage decisions involving medical judgment. The bill would require a qualified, licensed health care professional, exercising independent clinical judgment, to make any decision that a particular procedure, treatment, or prescription is not medically necessary.

“Artificial intelligence should never replace the judgment of a doctor,” said Barrett. “When it comes to someone’s health and well-being, the outcome is too important to leave it up to an algorithm. This bill makes sure doctors — not AI — remain responsible for determining what care patients need while bringing greater transparency to the use of these technologies in health insurance.”

“When a computer system is making decisions about health care, people will get hurt,” said Landsman. “We have to make sure health care professionals remain the decision makers. If not, folks will be left with massive bills, their health getting worse, or even life-threatening consequences.”

The Doctors Not AI Act:

• Ensures AI is used only in a supporting role and requires independent clinical judgment for decisions about whether care is medically necessary;
• Requires insurers to include AI-generated outputs in the administrative record, disclose the use of AI systems in the claims review process, and make the documentation available to patients; and
• Promotes fair coverage for mental health treatment by preventing disproportionate algorithmic scrutiny of care for mental health and substance use disorders.

Click here to read the bill.