Doctor Uses AI to Tackle Insurance Denials, Improving Patient Care in Illinois

In Illinois, Dr. Azlan Tariq faced numerous challenges dealing with insurance companies at his rehabilitation medicine practice. He dedicated a significant seven hours a week to the tedious task of battling with insurers to secure payment for his patients’ treatments.

Denied Appeals and Impact on Patients

Regrettably, Dr. Tariq often found himself on the losing end of these struggles. One poignant example was a 45-year-old man who endured five months confined to a wheelchair because his insurer repeatedly rejected appeals for a prosthetic leg. Another heartbreaking case involved a stroke survivor who ended up being readmitted to the hospital after a fall, all because his insurer insisted that his rehabilitation “could be done at home.”

Rising Denials and Broadening Pre-Approvals

Throughout his 12-year career, Dr. Tariq noticed an alarming trend. The list of treatments requiring pre-approval from insurers continued to expand, while the number of denials kept increasing.

Embracing Technology to Improve Patient Care

Seeking to shield his patients from what he considered subpar care, and to alleviate his own considerable paperwork burden, Dr. Tariq recently made an unexpected move. He turned to the use of generative A.I., or artificial intelligence, as a tool to navigate the complex world of healthcare insurance.