Congressman Discusses AI Innovations in Healthcare and Need for Oversight

The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce convened on September 4, 2025, to explore the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in American health care. The meeting focused on how AI technologies are being utilized to enhance patient care, support health care providers, and streamline administrative processes.

During the session, committee members highlighted several real-world applications of AI in the health sector. Pharmaceutical companies are leveraging AI to improve research functions and expedite clinical trials, thereby bringing life-saving treatments to market more quickly. Insurance companies are also using AI to process claims more efficiently, ensuring that patients receive care without unnecessary delays. However, concerns were raised about the need for oversight to prevent inappropriate use of AI in these areas.

Health care providers are benefiting from AI as well, with physicians using AI tools to reduce documentation time by approximately one-third. This allows doctors to dedicate more time to patient interactions, enhancing the overall patient experience. Additionally, companies developing medical devices are employing machine learning to better understand diseases and create more effective treatment interventions.

The meeting also addressed the importance of regulatory frameworks to ensure the safe and responsible integration of AI in health care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently working on utilizing AI to identify waste and fraud in federal health care systems, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented AI to expedite its review processes. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed algorithms that significantly reduce the time needed to match clinical trial volunteers with appropriate studies.

As AI continues to evolve, committee members emphasized the necessity of maintaining oversight to ensure these technologies empower health care providers rather than replace them. The discussion underscored the potential for AI to improve access to care, particularly in rural areas, and the committee expressed a commitment to exploring both the opportunities and risks associated with AI in health care.

The meeting concluded with a call for constructive dialogue among committee members and witnesses to shape the future of AI in the health care landscape.