Election 2026 Roundtable: Next Congress must deal with AI in healthcare

The next Congress needs a crash course on AI in patient care.

Lawmakers face a learning curve as health systems are expanding their use of AI in patient care. And when the new Congress is seated in January, they need to get up to speed.

Chief Healthcare Executive put together a roundtable of health policy experts to look at the 2026 congressional elections and the implications for healthcare. They participated in a wide-ranging discussion that took place two weeks before the election, and they also talked about the need for lawmakers to think about some safeguards in the use of AI for the delivery of care.

Our panel featured three experts with deep knowledge of federal policy.

Robert E. Andrews - The CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance, he spent 24 years in Congress representing part of New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Lisa Kidder Hrobsky - She’s the senior vice president of federal relations, advocacy and political affairs at the American Hospital Association.

Danielle Turnipseed - She’s the chief public policy officer of the AAMC, the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Over the course of the one-hour conversation, they covered reimbursements, affordability, cuts to Medicaid, rural hospitals and much more.

Here are portions of the discussion focused on AI and healthcare.

Q: “I did want to ask for some perspectives on AI, because you can't talk about healthcare without AI anymore. So let's check that box. But what do you think the new Congress might do with AI? We'll start with you, Rob, and then I'd really like everybody to weigh in on this one.”

Andrews: “Yeah, Congress is way behind the curve. Politicians generally are way behind the curve on AI. It's changing our lives daily, and the law hasn't caught up with it yet.

“The number one thing I hope the Congress does — there's a 1A and a 1B here. The 1A is to preserve the role of intelligent human beings in using AI as a tool, as opposed to replacing those human beings with AI as a tool. I understand that a robot could do a successful hernia operation on me or another patient, but I sure do want a really capable clinician standing by to make sure that's happening.

“And then the second, related to that, is safety. I think that it's very important that, whether it's an international body or a national body like the FDA, objective safety standards be promulgated and adhered to. I just read two weeks ago there's a phlebotomy machine now that's, I think, on the market, that's totally aggregate, so your blood can be drawn by a machine instead of a phlebotomist. I hate having my blood drawn, and the phlebotomist I go to knows that, and she treats me like a 10-year-old, which helps. But she's really good, and she knows what she's doing, and I trust her. I know that I'm safe when I'm with her.

“I want to feel the same way about that machine, and that doesn't mean the vendor sets the safety standards, or, frankly, that the hospital sets the safety standards. It means some objective, clinically qualified group does.

“So I hope that's what Congress does: to be sure that as AI is more and more used in the delivery of care, not just in the scheduling of appointments or, you know, the billing, but the actual delivery of care, that it's done in a way that's really safe.

Kidder Hrobsky: “Yeah, I would echo that. I think there certainly are some concerns or thoughts out there as we're navigating AI. What does it mean for the patient? What does it mean for the quality of care? And how do you, again, ensure that the patient's getting what they need?

“And Rob, you mentioned this a little bit at the end. And again, AI is used successfully in hospitals or businesses all around, for scheduling and for appointments. Insurance companies are rolling out ways for AI to look at claims and either deny them or not deny them.

“So I think we also need to make sure we're evaluating that, to make certain — it's great if you want to schedule me for 3 o'clock. However, I don't know if I want a machine deciding whether or not I get long-term care. So I think that sort of needs to be worked out as well.”

Turnipseed: “You know, Congress didn't rush to pass AI legislation before it went on recess this fall, and I think that's a very good move. Members will have to get up to speed on the latest in AI before they can pass credible, reliable, effective, and safe regulation.

“AI is moving so fast, and, you know, for our area in healthcare, we have to see what that means for all areas: the operating room, and, scheduling and financial management. Those are worlds apart, and, you know, we're still looking at what the return on AI will be. We know it's not going away.

“And I also have to tell you, I take heed of some of the founders, some of the leaders in this field, putting up a flag of caution and saying, you know, we have to do this more thoughtfully, or it could have unintended consequences. So it's not a failure to embrace technology, but I'm listening to a lot of the perspectives and want to make sure that we get this right for the benefit of the patient.”

Check out the previous installments of our Election 2026 Roundtable.

Segment One: The impact on health policy

Segment Two: Medicaid cuts and rural hospitals at risk

Segment Three: The affordability of care

Segment four: Training and protecting doctors

Segment five: Legislation to watch and reasons for hope