STAT News · Feb 17, 2026 · Collected from RSS
Facing shrinking profits and higher costs, health insurers are accelerating adoption of AI throughout their sprawling operations.
Broadening efforts to cut costs and boost efficiency raise questions about trust and oversight Camille MacMillin/STAT By Casey RossFeb. 17, 2026 Chief Investigative Reporter, Data & Technology Casey Ross covers the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and its underlying questions of safety, fairness, and privacy. Facing shrinking profit margins and higher medical costs, the nation’s largest health insurers are accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence throughout their sprawling operations, promising a wave of automation designed to cut expenses and boost productivity. References to AI were a common part of the script during insurers’ calls with Wall Street analysts in the early weeks of 2026. Executives at UnitedHealth Group pledged to lean heavily on the technology to cut $1 billion in costs this year, with CEO Steven Helmsley declaring that “we are clearly embarking on a new age of technology” in health care. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Chief Investigative Reporter, Data & Technology Casey Ross covers the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and its underlying questions of safety, fairness, and privacy.