# CMS Faces Scrutiny Over Medicare AI Pilot

CMS’s WISeR AI prior-authorization pilot is operating in six states and covers nearly 6.5 million traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Released records and preliminary reporting have raised concerns about delays, denials, and patient access, while congressional scrutiny and possible funding restrictions leave nationwide expansion uncertain. For contractors supporting AI-enabled health programs, the scrutiny creates policy and performance risk; the signal identifies no solicitation, contract award, or procurement contact.

- Companies supporting the pilot or similar programs should account for concerns about authorization delays, denials, and beneficiary access in their performance planning.
- Procurement and business teams should factor congressional scrutiny and possible funding restrictions into plans that assume nationwide expansion.
- The signal does not identify a current solicitation or award, so it supports risk assessment rather than a specific bidding action.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Healthcare, Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 28, 2026

### Government Entities
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- U.S. House of Representatives

### Key Quotes
> Any sort of challenge judicially is going to have to be pretty narrow.
> — Jeff Wurzburg, former HHS attorney

> I don’t believe this is in their authority to do. I think that’s one of the reasons why they have been very cagey with us
> — Greg Landsman, U.S. Representative

### Sources
- [
	Medicare’s Plan to Expand AI Program Criticized as Overreach | U.S. House of Representatives
](https://delbene.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=4479) - Delbene