AI Medicare Pilot Program Raises Concerns for Oklahoma Patients

mike33692
Sep 16
1 min read

Federal Pilot Program Comes to Oklahoma

Oklahoma will participate in a federal pilot program designed to use artificial intelligence to make Medicare prior authorization decisions. The program, called the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction model (WISeR), aims to cut unnecessary medical costs.

Critics Say Program May Deny Patient Care

Even the name of the program has sparked debate. Critics argue it suggests the default is to block expensive medical procedures, raising fears that vulnerable patients could see delays or outright denials in critical care.

Automation vs. Human Oversight

The software was developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Proponents say it will reduce paperwork and speed up approvals, but patient advocates warn that replacing doctors’ decisions with algorithms could create more barriers to treatment.