Prior authorization — the process requiring insurers to pre-approve recommended medical treatments — causes significant care delays, with many patients abandoning treatment or seeing their health worsen while waiting for decisions. AI has the potential to speed up approvals, but critics worry it will instead be used to deny claims more efficiently, and a 2025 AMA survey found 61% of physicians share this concern. While the Trump administration is piloting an AI-driven prior authorization program in original Medicare and pressuring private insurers to reduce unnecessary denials, it remains unclear whether these efforts will ultimately benefit or harm patients.
