Health Care

Lawmakers examine AI scribes’ role in medical billing

Hospital systems and AI companies tout the time and efficiency they provide doctors, but critics say they’re prone to overbill.
The Hennepin County Medical Center emergency department sign is seen Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

An explosion in the use of artificial intelligence scribes to capture and summarize doctor-patient conversations during medical visits is raising concerns among some lawmakers that healthcare systems may deploy the bots to pad their profits, potentially leading to a dramatic increase in the cost of care. 

The debate over AI’s use in medical billing underscores a broader tension between the promise that new technology brings to the healthcare industry and its potential to exacerbate biases and systemic flaws, with state legislatures increasingly taking the position as the mediator in the absence of a federal framework. 

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