NHC Statement on Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care Through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies

NHC Statement on Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care Through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies (pdf)

Statement for the Record From The National Health Council
U.S House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce
Hearing on Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care Through the Use of
Artificial Intelligence Technologies
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
10:15 a.m.

The National Health Council (NHC) appreciates the House Energy and Commerce Committee holding this hearing on "Examining Opportunities to Advance American Health Care through the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies." Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care is of great importance to patients and the patient community. The NHC submits this statement to ensure that the patient perspective is at the forefront of this discussion, as none of the scheduled witnesses directly represent this critical viewpoint. Moving forward, the patient community expects to be included in policy discussions to ensure patients -the ultimate users of health care - benefit from the use of AI in health care and are protected from unintended consequences. The NHC is a unique and ready resource on this critical topic.

Created by and for patient organizations over 100 years ago, the NHC brings diverse organizations together to forge consensus and drive patient-centered health policy. We promote increased access to affordable, high-value, equitable, and sustainable health care. Made up of more than 180 national health-related organizations and businesses, the NHC's core membership includes the nation's leading patient organizations. Other members include health- related associations and nonprofit organizations including the provider, research, and family caregiver communities; and businesses and organizations representing biopharmaceuticals, devices, diagnostics, generics, and payers.

Patient Priorities for AI use in Health Care

AI's integration into health care delivery must be grounded in a commitment to enhancing patient access to care, advancing the quality of care, and improving operational efficiency. This must be achieved through thoughtful and effective implementation and careful and continuous oversight. The use of AI in health care decision-making must also support and supplement, not supplant, human decision-making, patient preferences, and clinician knowledge. In addition, the individuality of each patient must be recognized and supported. To achieve this, the NHC urges patient engagement in the development and operationalizing of health care tools that rely on AI to ensure they reflect their needs and preferences.

As AI rapidly evolves, the patient community is continuously learning about its potential and challenges. Policies must be flexible enough to address new use cases without undermining existing protections. The NHC has developed Principles for Health AI to ensure patients are at the center of any new AI policy.

Opportunities and Concerns

AI is already transforming every facet of health care -from improving the accuracy of medical imaging and diagnoses to managing provider workflow and speeding up research and development pathways. These advances hold tremendous promise to help increase the quality, timeliness, and accessibility of care. However, as the Committee recognizes in the title of this hearing, there are also significant risks that can harm patients, such as the potential for AI to automate coverage denials. To fully realize AI's promise and minimize its pitfalls, all policy and regulatory initiatives must collaborate with patients and reflect their interests and concerns.

Patients are particularly concerned about timely coverage for new health care innovations. When new technologies are not covered or are unnecessarily delayed, patients lose access to critical care, an issue that has intensified as the pace of innovation increases. The NHC is pleased to support the Health Tech Investment Act to help patients get timely access to these innovative health solutions.

Another significant concern is the potential for AI to amplify existing biases within the health care system. The data and technology used to develop and operationalize AI must be as free of bias as possible to prevent further embedding existing health inequities in care. The NHC calls for developers, manufacturers, practitioners, patients, policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders to collaborate on continuously improving the safety and quality of AI technologies. All stakeholders must be a part of the future of AI in health care, but the patient community must be at the very forefront.

AI has the potential to dramatically improve health care research, delivery, and access for patients. However, it mut be implemented in a careful and responsible manner that accounts for and minimizes its risks, which include unintended consequences of use, adverse events, overriding patient and provider expertise, inadvertent reinforcement of implicit and explicit biases and inequities, inaccuracies in training data that lead to hard-to-detect and misleading results, and the weakening of patient privacy protections.

Conclusion

The NHC appreciates the opportunity to contribute to this critical dialogue on AI in health care. Please do not hesitate to contact Kimberly Beer, Senior Vice President of Policy & External Affairs, if you or your staff would like to discuss these comments in greater detail. She is reachable via e-mail at [email protected].