Insurers claim AI is already increasing healthcare costs

Blue Cross Blue Shield claims hospitals’ use of AI tools increased healthcare spending by $942 million over a two-year period. The insurer says the added costs came from AI-enabled hospital practices, though the article provides few details on which tools or workflows drove the increase.

The claim highlights a growing tension between AI’s promise to improve efficiency and its potential to raise healthcare utilization and billing. If insurers push back on AI-driven care costs, hospitals may face tighter scrutiny over how they deploy and justify these systems.