Medicare’s AI pilot left seniors waiting up to 83 days
A Medicare AI pilot is delaying or denying care for seniors in six states, while vendors are paid for expenditures they avert, creating a direct financial incentive to reject treatment. CMS’s WISeR model sends prior-authorization requests to private contractors that use AI, although a qualified clinician is supposed to review every denial. Records obtained by EFF describe technical failures, improper denials, and one request that went unanswered for 83 days.