KevinMD January 11, 2026
There are many ways to say “no” in medicine.
“No, this antibiotic won’t help a viral infection.”
“No, this test won’t change our management.”
“No, that surgery carries more risk than benefit.”
And then there is the newest way:
“No, the algorithm doesn’t prioritize your health.”
Welcome to WISeR, short for “Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction,” a Medicare pilot program that promises to usher artificial intelligence into health care decision-making with all the subtlety of a parking ticket and all the moral imagination of a spreadsheet. According to its architects, WISeR will save taxpayers money, protect beneficiaries, reduce fraud, streamline care, and, almost as an afterthought, continue to provide appropriate medical services.
It is already being called an “AI death panel.” CMS objects to...
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