Artificial Intelligence
HLC is identifying barriers, opportunities, and risks with private sector leaders to shape policy and to unleash the potential of AI to improve health.
The Issue
For decades, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has enhanced healthcare delivery and research. As machine learning and generative AI capabilities evolve, these technologies improve diagnostic accuracy, support clinical decision-making, and enable earlier disease intervention. Beyond patient care, AI applications also streamline administrative processes, optimize workflows, and use predictive analytics to forecast disease outbreaks.
However, several challenges hinder broader adoption. Private sector-based obstacles include limited access for under-resourced health systems, privacy and security concerns around sensitive data, and incomplete or biased data affecting outcomes. Regulatory, payment and liability obstacles at both the federal and state level include federal uncertainty as well as state-level inconsistencies. Policymakers must collaborate with private-sector leaders to alleviate these challenges and unlock AI’s full potential.
Policy Solutions
HLC supports a risk-based, patient-centered approach that fosters AI innovation while ensuring ethical and responsible implementation. Policies should provide regulatory clarity, promote trust, and encourage safe use in healthcare. The following policy recommendations will help unlock AI’s potential:
Protect AI Innovation from Overly Restrictive Regulations
Overregulation could limit AI’s potential to improve patient outcomes. Federal agencies should align the regulation of AI in health while recognizing the different entity roles in serving patients. HLC recommends avoiding a rigid, one-size-fits-all set of AI regulations and ensuring AI policies allow flexibility.
Strengthen Data Integrity and Mitigate Bias
AI systems must be trained and rely on high-quality, diverse, and unbiased data to ensure the accuracy and reliability of patient care. Organizations should identify and mitigate biases across their model development lifecycle and, where appropriate, align with industry-developed standards. HLC recommends implementing robust data governance practices,, promoting standardized, interoperable health data frameworks, and incorporating data from vulnerable populations.
Develop Voluntary Federal Guidelines to Standardize AI Best Practices
Fragmented state-by-state AI laws are creating compliance burdens and stifling innovation. A national standard will avoid conflicting requirements and facilitate consistent compliance. HLC recommends establishing voluntary federal guidelines based on best practices, accreditation, and safety standards, providing consistent guidance on AI validation, testing, and risk management frameworks, and ensuring risk assessments are tailored to use cases and are entity dependent will align with risk-based approaches.
Define AI Oversight and Ensure Explainability
AI systems must be trained and rely on high-quality, diverse, and unbiased data to ensure the accuracy and reliability of patient care. Organizations should identify and mitigate biases across their model development lifecycle and, where appropriate, align with industry-developed standards. HLC recommends implementing robust data governance practices, promoting standardized, interoperable health data frameworks, and incorporating data from vulnerable populations.
Artificial Intelligence Letters & Comments
HLC and Confidentiality Coalition response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy “Regulatory Reform for Artificial Intelligence” RFI
HLC comments on HHS’s RFI on Deregulation
Read our letter responding to the Request for Information (RFI) to ensure lawful regulation and unleash innovation to Make America Healthy Again, as issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Secretary.
HLC joint letter in response to the CMS/ASTP/ONC RFI on the Health Technology Ecosystem
Artificial Intelligence News & Updates
HLC and Confidentiality Coalition Submit Joint Response to OSTP RFI on Regulatory Reform for Artificial Intelligence
Today, HLC submitted comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to the Request for Information (RFI) on regulatory reform for Artificial Intelligence (AI). The letter highlights a patchwork of individual state po…
“Enable the growth of private-sector AI innovation and advancements to improve health” – HLC and Confidentiality Coalition Respond to AI Action Plan RFI Detailing Extensive Healthcare Industry Solutions
The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), an association of CEOs and C-suite executives from all sectors of healthcare, responded to the National Science Foundation’s request for information (RFI) on the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)…
HLC Letter Spotlights Healthcare Opportunities for President-Elect Trump
Ghazal: “HLC stands ready to work with the incoming Administration to advance our shared priorities.”The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) sent a letter to the transition team for President-elect Donald J. Trump summarizing the policy priorities t…
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