Cancel the WISeR Medicare Pilot Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new pilot program called the "Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction" — or WISeR — model, set to launch in January 2026 across six states: Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. The program introduces a prior authorization process to traditional Medicare, using artificial intelligence to decide whether prescribed medical procedures will be covered. Critically, enrollees in these states have no ability to opt out.
Prior authorization is widely considered one of the most harmful and frustrating practices in private insurance and Medicare Advantage plans. It frequently results in delayed or denied care, and an American Medical Association survey found that physicians view it as one of the most burdensome obstacles to delivering quality care. Bringing this same system into original Medicare — long valued for its relative simplicity and broad coverage — represents a significant rollback of patient protections.
What makes the WISeR model especially alarming is its financial structure. The federal government intends to pay private AI companies a share of the savings generated from claim denials, giving these companies a direct financial incentive to reject coverage requests. This built-in conflict of interest means that decisions about your health care could be driven by an algorithm's profit motive rather than your medical needs.
Millions of traditional Medicare recipients stand to lose access to treatments they currently receive without prior approval. Urge your representatives to demand the cancellation of the WISeR pilot program and protect the integrity of Medicare coverage for all enrollees.
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Live Call Script
Hello, I am an assistant calling on behalf of a constituent, {{first_name}} {{last_name}} from {{city}}, {{state}} zip code {{zip_code}}. This call is to urge Representative {{representative_name}} to push for the cancellation of the WISeR — Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction — pilot program for traditional Medicare. This program would use AI to make prior authorization decisions about patient care, and it financially incentivizes private companies to deny claims. That is a dangerous conflict of interest that puts profits over patients. Medicare recipients in the pilot states have no way to opt out, and this could lead to real delays and denials of essential treatments. The constituent is asking {{representative_name}} to take action to stop this program before it launches in January 2026.
Voicemail Version
I am calling on behalf of {{first_name}} {{last_name}}, a constituent from {{city}}, {{state}} {{zip_code}}. This message is to urge Representative {{representative_name}} to push for the cancellation of the WISeR Medicare pilot program. This program uses AI to make prior authorization decisions and pays private companies based on how many claims they deny — that is a clear conflict of interest that will harm Medicare patients. Please take action to stop this before it launches in January 2026. You may contact me at {{phone_number}} to discuss further.