After signing hundreds of billions of dollars in health care cuts into law, the Trump administration is taking a page out of a dystopian sci-fi plot and planning to hand over access to traditional Medicare to private companies armed with artificial intelligence, letting algorithms decide whether seniors get critical, life-changing procedures like spine surgeries or steroid injections.
The administration is planning to launch pilot programs for our new robot Medicare overlords in six states, even though similar algorithms used by private insurers brought high-profile lawsuits, which claimed the technology allowed companies to deny large numbers of claims and rip away care from patients in rehabilitation facilities.
The kicker? These AI contractors get paid more the more claims they deny, turning patient care into a profit-maximizing game at the expense of aging Americans. Seniors who were promised more efficient Medicare services by Republicans last fall may soon face shocking delays and denials of care.
It’s not the first time the Trump administration has suggested some Americans don’t deserve health care. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz defended over $700 million in cuts to health care by telling beneficiaries they needed to “prove that they matter.”
“Trump’s Medicare AI pilot is a backdoor into privatizing care while letting corporations cash in,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “It’s not about saving lives or making Americans healthier; it’s all about making money for the rich at the expense of Americans who actually need health care. Millions of seniors and people with disabilities could be caught in the crosshairs of a system that values profits over lives.”
Published: Aug 29, 2025 | Last Modified: Sep 3, 2025