Over 6 million Americans on Medicare will now need to get prior authorization from AI for these 17 procedures

Traditional Medicare in six states will soon feel more like privatized Medicare Advantage, using prior authorizations to determine what care can be covered for older adults.

Starting in January, about 6.4 million Americans enrolled in traditional Medicare in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Washington state will be part of a pilot program using artificial intelligence for prior authorizations. The program — known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model — will require additional approvals for 17 different medical procedures.