Democrats Seek Vote to End Medicare AI Pilot
- •Congressional Democrats introduced resolutions to force a vote on ending the Medicare AI pilot program.
- •The GAO ruled that the WISeR program required congressional approval before launching in January.
- •Lawmakers cite concerns that AI-driven prior authorization delays care and incentivizes denials for profit.
Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House introduced resolutions on May 20, 2026, aimed at halting a Medicare pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to determine the approval or denial of medical care. The initiative, known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) program, is currently active in six states: Arizona, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. This legislative action follows a ruling from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued last week, which determined that the program was subject to congressional approval and should have been submitted for review before its January implementation.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) spearheaded the Senate resolution, supported by a coalition of 20 Democrats, while Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) introduced a companion measure in the House. Opponents of the program argue that the use of AI for prior authorization creates significant barriers to necessary care for seniors. Specifically, critics allege that the program operates as a denial device, worsening patient conditions and potentially serving as a mechanism to privatize traditional Medicare.
The WISeR program requires healthcare providers to submit certain supplies and procedures to designated contractors who utilize AI technology to issue coverage decisions. Lawmakers and experts have raised concerns regarding a payment scheme for these contractors, which includes an undisclosed formula linked to the number of procedures denied. While CMS administrator Mehmet Oz has stated that the agency will audit participants to ensure consistency with coverage criteria and terminate vendors with high inaccuracy rates, the resolution seeks to invoke the Congressional Review Act to force a vote on terminating the experiment. If the resolution gains 30 Senate signatures to move to the floor and passes both chambers of Congress, the WISeR pilot would immediately become ineffective, though such efforts to overturn federal rules have historically been rare.