Technology

The Arizona-based company using artificial intelligence to review certain Medicare requests in Washington state under a controversial six-year pilot program has been found out of compliance by the federal government. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that Virtix Health was required to submit a Corrective Action Plan because it was not responding quickly… Read more »

Dive Brief: Democrat lawmakers are calling on the CMS to release more data on a controversial pilot program that adds artificial intelligence-backed prior authorization for some services in traditional Medicare.  In a letter sent to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on Monday, representatives pushed the agency to release information on how long it takes technology vendors… Read more »

For months, Medicare patients in Washington have struggled with delays and denials for medical treatments due to a new program that uses artificial intelligence to review care. Now, patients and their doctors are fed up and demanding changes. Lawmakers scrutinizing the program want to see it overhauled. “Congress and the public deserve a full understanding of the impact this program is… Read more »

Legislation aimed at reducing delays when Medicare Advantage plans require preapproval for care could hit the House floor under fast-track rules for bills that have broad support. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., targets use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage — in which insurers approve or deny services before they can be delivered. The legislation would require… Read more »

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) clashed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a Thursday House hearing where she pressed Bessent on DOGE's "unprecedented" access to Americans' private data. At the hearing, DelBene blasted the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) effort as a "massive failure" and accused Bessent of not putting proper "safeguards" in place to protect sensitive data that… Read more »

Two Republicans and two Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives are co-sponsoring proposed legislation designed to protect the Fourth Amendment’s bar of warrantless government searches and seizures of private citizens’ email content. “The Fourth Amendment is clear: the government must get a warrant before searching an individual’s private property, including written… Read more »

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., has secured bipartisan support for her proposal to bolster privacy protections for emails and other personalized digital records.   On Monday, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, announced his support for the measure, while Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are jointly backing a companion bill in the Senate.   Though DelBene has been… Read more »

Bipartisan legislation that would modernize privacy protections for Americans’ e-mail has been introduced in the House and Senate. The Email Privacy Act (H.R. 9016, 119th Cong. (2026)) was introduced in the House by Reps. Suzan DelBene (D., Wash.) and Warren Davidson (R., Ohio). The Senate version will be offered by Sens. Mike Lee (R., Utah) and Ron Wyden (D., Ore.). The legislation… Read more »

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) has found bipartisan partners for her email warrant bill. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are signing onto DelBene’s Email Privacy Act on Monday, a once-popular bill that had languished in recent congresses. The renewed interest comes as privacy hawks have pressed for warrant requirements in a separate debate… Read more »

Five months into a pilot program that uses AI to review certain Medicare procedure requests, Washington seniors face new hurdles and worsening health outcomes, according to health care providers and lawmakers. The program, which incentivizes participating private companies to deny procedures, has become the target of a repeal effort by Democratic Congressional members, including those… Read more »