Using artificial intelligence to deny a claim for medically necessary health insurance is currently illegal in California

It is now illegal to use it artificial intelligence Down deny everyone medically necessary health insurance claims in California after the new law goes into effect.

The Physician Decision-Making Act aims to ensure that artificial intelligence algorithms do not override the authority of medical staff and allow experts to determine the correct course of treatment without significant influence, according to statement from state senator Josh Becker, who authored the bill.

Although the bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, public scrutiny of insurance practices has increased over the past few weeks in the wake of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

A few days after his death, news came lawsuit previously filed in November 2023, have returned. The lawsuit alleged that UnitedHealthcare used an artificial intelligence algorithm to deny coverage to patients whom doctors deemed necessary.

UnitedHealthcare denied that the algorithm was used to determine coverage, instead it was used as a “guide” for a patient’s future potential needs. Acute health care was reported then.

California’s new law does not completely ban the use of artificial intelligence in health care, but when it comes to insurance decisions, the technology cannot delay or deny any medically necessary treatments.

“Artificial intelligence has enormous potential to improve health care delivery, but it should never replace the knowledge and judgment of physicians,” Becker said in a statement. “The algorithm cannot fully understand a patient’s unique medical history or needs, and its misuse can lead to devastating consequences.”

In light of the increased focus on health insurance practices, dozens of social media users have changed their minds sharing their stories online about situations where they were denied care or left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

A doctor arrived recently viral on X after he shared the story of a coma patient whose claim was denied because it was not proven to be “medically necessary.”