Physicians’ use of artificial intelligence has more than doubled since 2023, with 81% surveyed by the American Medical Association reporting that they currently use the technology in a professional context. The most common among the physician users were applications focused on documenting clinical care and summarizing medical research. The AMA noted that the proportion of physicians using AI for summaries of research and standards of care rose 26 percentage points from the previous survey to 39%.
The agency plans to award up to 30 three-year cooperative agreements totaling as much as $100 million to organizations focused on “evidence-based, whole-person functional or lifestyle medicine interventions” to launch programs that enhance conventional healthcare, according to a March 13 CMS news release. The model will test interventions such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and other lifestyle strategies that are not currently covered by Medicare, with the goal of slowing or preventing chronic disease.
Consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal has published a report based on a survey of 30 health system senior executives that paints a picture of how health systems are redesigning their Medicare Advantage (MA) strategies in the face of declining reimbursement, rising utilization, escalating denials, and increasing administrative friction. Organizations are increasingly focusing on negotiating fairer deal terms, aligning incentives through value-based care, and right-sizing their MA participation to optimize financial outcomes.
Employer Groups Applaud Bill that Aims to Spur Competition in Healthcare
In a letter to lawmakers on Monday, employer advocacy groups applauded the introduction of the Healthy Competition for Better Care Act, a bill that aims to increase competition in healthcare. The letter was signed by the American Benefits Council, the ERISA Industry Committee, the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, the Purchaser Business Group on Health, the Silicon Valley Employers Forum and the Small Business Majority.
Amazon launches health AI agent on its website, expands free virtual care to 200M Prime members
In January, Amazon launched an agentic health artificial intelligence assistant for One Medical members, and the tech giant is now expanding access to U.S. consumers through Amazon.com and the Amazon app. Amazon’s Health AI is an agentic AI health assistant that can help users understand their medical records, give personalized health insights and connect users to licensed healthcare professionals. Health AI accesses patients' medical records through state health information exchanges to review diagnoses, medications and health history before responding to users' health questions. Health also can help book appointments and manage prescriptions.
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