Insurance CEOs vs. Congress: AI Denials, Prior Auth & The Healthcare Affordability Crisis
Health Law Talk Presented by Chehardy Sherman Williams
Five health insurance CEOs faced a historic grilling on Capitol Hill this week, and the fallout affects every healthcare provider in America.
In this episode, Conrad Meyer and Rory Bellina break down the January 2026 congressional hearings where lawmakers from both parties hammered executives from UnitedHealth, CVS, Cigna, Elevance, and Ascendiun over skyrocketing premiums, claim denials, and the use of AI to reject patient care.
We cover:
- Why premiums are doubling after the ACA subsidy expiration
- The new Medicare AI pilot program (WISeR) and what it means for your practice
- How AI-driven prior authorization is linked to denial rates 16x higher than human review
- New state laws in Texas and California requiring AI disclosure
- What Louisiana providers need to know right now
- Six practical steps to protect your patients and your practice
Whether you’re a physician, hospital administrator, compliance officer, or healthcare attorney, this episode gives you the legal context and actionable takeaways you need.
#HealthLaw #PriorAuthorization #HealthcareAI #PhysicianAdvocacy #HealthcareCompliance #Louisiana
Health Law Talk, presented by Chehardy Sherman Williams, one of the largest full service law firms in the Greater New Orleans area, is a regular podcast focusing on the expansive area of healthcare law. Attorneys Rory Bellina, Conrad Meyer and George Mueller will address various legal issues and current events surrounding healthcare topics. The attorneys are here to answer your legal questions, create a discussion on various healthcare topics, as well as bring in subject matter experts and guests to join the conversation.
