65% Of Michiganders Don't Want AI Used To Deny Insurance Claims

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 07/13/2026) A Progress Michigan survey found 65 percent of Michiganders strongly support putting a ban on health insurers using artificial intelligence (AI) to deny insurance claims.

The 65 percent who support the ban included 69 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of independents in the survey that was taken from June 26–27 by Progress Michigan, a progressive nonprofit. The organization commissioned Public Policy Polling which surveyed 641 registered Michigan voters by phone and text. The survey has a 3.9 percent margin of error.

"Health insurance claim reviews should never be decided by an algorithm. Michiganders want and deserve a transparent review process where a human being has the final say to approve or deny claims," said Progress Michigan Executive Director Justin Mendoza. "The last thing we want to see are AI death panels that decide who gets care and who doesn't."

At the beginning of this year, researchers at Stanford University described several concerns regarding AI and how insurers utilize it.

They noted that the "opacity of AI algorithms" makes it difficult to understand why a particular determination was made, also making it hard to challenge that determination.

They warned that algorithms trained on past coverage decisions can lock in flawed aspects. They were skeptical about whether human reviewers would have the time, expertise and incentive to look back at recommendations made by AI.

In August 2024, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) issued a bulletin instructing how health insurers should incorporate AI into their policies. It calls on health insurers to adopt "governance frameworks and risk management tools" preventing AI systems from leading to unfair trade practices or unfair claims settlement practices.

Brian Mills, the deputy director of commercial markets and communications for the Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP), said the state-level regulations are subject to investigations by DIFS.

He said the governance framework, risk management techniques and internal controls required in the bulletin "prioritize transparency, fairness and accountability in the design and implementation."

Scrutiny toward different players in the healthcare industry has played a part in the 2026 election cycle.

For example, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the perceived frontrunner in the Democratic Party primary for governor, has said the state needs to stand up against unfair insurance denials.

Benson told a story during a United Auto Workers (UAW) forum in Dearborn, that while she was on a run in Detroit, a woman came up to her to talk about her father, who died following a heart attack "because he couldn't get access to the necessary care he needed after an insurance company denied his claim."

"Under my leadership, the state of Michigan will take on those unfair insurance denials and ensure that everyone has access to health care coverage that they are entitled to, because it's life or death," Benson said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) in the Republican field for governor has pushed in Congress to mandate hospitals to clearly label prices. He called for giving citizens the power to shop around for healthcare services in the same way they can look for cheaper gas or review different websites before buying goods online.

On July 8, during FOX2 Detroit's debate, James expressed wanting to cut taxes, regulations and cut "frankly, the insurance cartels that we have in the state of Michigan."

During a rally calling for a one-year block on data center construction, Rep. Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City), a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, suggested that further tightening regulations around AI could be the next item that conservatives and progressives collaborate on.

The rally was hosted by Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), who serves as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, outside the state Legislature.

"I mean this is a technology that has the ability to concentrate wealth and power like we've never seen before," Wegela said. "In China, AI started mining for cryptocurrency without being told to do so. In the U.S., we've had AI companies blackmail people during tests. They can now detect that they're being tested."

He said if technology with the ability to replace workers is being pushed, regulations should be pushed by legislators.

Mills said because the MAHP represents insurers providing coverage outside of Michigan, a couple of policymakers have brought the association into their offices to discuss what other states are doing when it comes to AI and where Michigan ranks in its level of control and regulation.

Mills believes that DIFS was part of setting the stage for AI and health insurance regulations.

Mills said AI is being used by members of his association to make products and services affordable, just like any business.

"Those practices are used differently by different businesses and different insurers, so sometimes it's competitive in nature, no different in what other services they might be offering," Mills said.