Artificial Intelligence & Digital Technology
Read the latest on how artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies are rolling out in health care and the strategies underway to guide safe and effective implementation.
AI & Mental Health: The Bipartisan Policy Center’s recent survey found that digital mental health tools are gaining traction among US adults – used by about 30% of US adults over 18 and nearly 50% of adults ages 18 to 44. Younger adults are more likely to use apps, chatbots, and online programs, while older adults report several barriers to using digital mental health tools, including privacy concerns, usability, and the loss of personal, relationship-based care.AI & Pancreatic Cancer: The Mayo Clinic developed an AI model that can help specialists detect pancreatic cancer on routine abdominal CT scans up to three years before clinical diagnosis.OpenAI & Drug Development: OpenAI announced that it is rolling out an early version of its AI model GPT-Rosalind to accelerate drug discovery and support life sciences research, initially available as a research preview to select customers. Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, is also working with OpenAI across its operations – from research and development to manufacturing and supply chains – as it looks to keep pace with the rapidly expanding obesity drug market.AI Scribes & Note Quality: A new study in Annals of Internal Medicine found that AI-generated clinical notes were lower in quality than those written by humans across five simulated primary care cases that included 11 AI scribe tools.Administrative Burden & Costs: The Peterson Health Technology Institute released a report, informed by an expert workshop, examining how AI can reduce administrative burden and accelerate prior authorizations, while highlighting how increased billing intensity by providers drives up health care costs.
Resources & Initiatives
The Bipartisan Policy Center shares work on leveraging digital solutions and strengthening behavioral health care to improve care and lower costs. A new perspective in JAMA explores the intersection of the health care workforce shortage in the US and the demand for autonomous clinical AI agents. The piece argues that the existing regulatory frameworks are insufficient and calls for a licensure-based approach, grounded in ongoing clinical evaluation.BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is partnering with Codoxo to implement a new provider coding education platform, which uses AI and rules-based methods to analyze provider coding patterns and provider practices. The initiative aims to improve transparency, support education, and help ensure adherence to documentation and coding guidelines.Elevance Health released information on how they are using human expertise and AI to identify potential fraud, waste, and abuse such as billing errors or upcoding, as well as how AI-powered tools can improve efficiency and help control costs for members.GuideWell’s recently released Impact Report highlights how they are using AI to improve health outcomes, including using AI to accelerate prior authorization approvals, never denials. 78% of their AI-enabled prior authorizations are approved in under 90 seconds.
Interview on AI & Youth Mental Health
NIHCM’s latest webinar featured a robust Q&A session with leaders in the youth mental health space. Megan Moreno, MD, MPH, MSEd, FAAP, and Brian Brooks discussed the emerging role of social media and AI on youth mental health, as well as state-level strategies to support well-being. Read an excerpt from the webinar:
NIHCM: Could you discuss safety and data governance concerns, as well as the current state of research on the impacts of AI, especially chatbots, on youth mental health?
Dr. Megan Moreno: I think this is an area where research is really in its infancy, and so if we stay in our evidence-based lane, it is hard to have a lot to talk about just yet, but I think there is a lot coming. Some of what we have seen is that youth, in some ways, are using AI in ways that we saw in the early days of the internet…We do not know a lot about chatbots yet, but we do know that youth are typing in questions and engaging with chatbots around topics or areas they see as stigmatized, which could include mental health…I think one of the problematic areas that we see emerging very early is that these chatbots were not designed to engage with youth. They were not designed to be able to provide appropriate responses to mental health queries…and so, while youth might be using these as a practice therapy session…the responses they are getting back might not be actually preparing them for real therapy, or providing support in the way that we would hope.
Dr. Moreno is a Professor of Pediatrics and Affiliate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Co-Medical Director for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
NIHCM: What are some solutions to address youth mental health that can be easily replicated in other states?
Brian Brooks: Some of the things I think could be replicated from a payer standpoint are how Blue Cross NC partners with community-based organizations and how we are supporting training across our providers. We are partnering to deliver and certify individuals in evidence-based training (Youth Mental Health First Aid Training). I think that is something that can be replicated across states and counties. Blue Cross NC is also partnering with the state’s 988 Lifeline for mobile assessment. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released guidelines on mobile assessments for youth, and I think we can definitely see more states adopting that method and partnering with 988.
Brian Brooks is the Vice President of Behavioral Health at Blue Cross NC.
Watch the webinar and access speaker materials.
Cancer Trends & Treatment Advancements
Learn more about recent cancer trends, the importance of prevention, and the latest news for treating certain cancers.
Shifting Colorectal Cancer Trends: The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that nearly 159,000 new colorectal cancers (CRCs) will be diagnosed in 2026, with over 55,000 deaths. Nearly one-third of these deaths are expected to be in people under age 65. While overall CRC rates have declined in recent years, incidence has been rising among people aged 50 and younger, where it is now the leading cause of cancer-related death. Cancer Prevention: New research from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association found that cancers detected through preventive screenings are more likely to be identified at an early stage than those identified after symptoms appear, with over 80%of breast and colon cancers detected through screenings diagnosed at stage I. Early detection is also associated with significantly lower health care costs – breast cancer treatment averages $82,900 when detected at stage I, compared to $249,200 at stage IV, while colon cancer treatment averages $110,900 at stage I versus $255,700 at stage IV.Cancer Costs: A recent ACS survey found that 47% of cancer patients and survivors have medical debt related to their cancer. Those with cancer-related medical debt were more likely to miss recommended screenings, delay or skip treatment, or go without adequate food. The burden of medical debt is greater for Black and Hispanic patients and survivors, who more often reported being denied care due to their medical debt.Environmental Exposure: A recent study of over 91,000 people found that higher exposure to wildfire-related air pollution was associated with significantly greater risk for several cancers – including lung, colorectal, breast, bladder and blood cancers – with risk rising alongside exposure levels.Advancements in Pancreatic Cancer: With around a 13% five-year survival rate, pancreatic cancer remains extremely difficult to treat, but recent developments are improving outcomes. An mRNA vaccine has shown early promise in treating pancreatic cancer, with a phase 1 clinical trial reporting that nearly 90% of immune respondents were still alive up to six years after treatment. In other pancreatic cancer news, the Food and Drug Administration expanded access to an experimental drug that has been shown to roughly double the average survival time for patients receiving conventional treatments.
Resources & Initiatives
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and the Prevent Cancer Foundation highlights several ways to reduce risk, including wearing sunscreen and protective clothing, regularly checking your skin, and starting preventative methods early in life to lower long-term risk.Learn more about recommended cancer screenings by age from the American Cancer Society.At the 2026 Academy of Care Pharmacy meeting, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) discussed the evolving oncology landscape. Horizon addressed accelerated approval pathways, weighing faster access against clinical uncertainty. BCBSM highlighted a site-of-care redirection program that shifts select oncology care to lower-cost settings to manage total cost of care while maintaining access. Premera Blue Cross has expanded its Personal Health Support program, in partnership with Thyme Care, to include cancer care support such as virtual cancer care navigation, assistance with non-clinical barriers to care, connections to local resources, and support for caregivers.