Hospitals' use of artificial intelligence tools to submit insurance claims added $942 million to healthcare spending over a two-year period, according to an analysis by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).
The BCBSA analysis found "a sharp increase in patients being documented as having complex conditions," but argued there is a "clear disconnect between [medical] coding and treatment," since there is "no evidence of corresponding change in care delivered."
The New York Times cited the analysis as just the latest sign that AI is contributing to rising healthcare costs. While disputes between hospitals and insurers over treatments and payments are nothing new, the Times reported that AI adoption on both sides appears to be intensifying them.
Dr. Shiv Rao, founder of the AI startup Abridge, acknowledged that the use of AI could lead to "a horrible dystopic future nobody wants to live in," one of "bots fighting bots, agents fighting agents." But Rao suggested it might also ease tensions and reduce costs.
Luke Chalker, a senior vice president at BCBSA, resisted characterizing the situation as a battle, saying, "It's not a war. It's a completely one-sided blood bath," with insurers on the losing side.
via TechCrunch AI