Opposition to a Medicare pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions continues to grow on both sides of the political aisle.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee recently passed its appropriations bill for the departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and related agencies. The bill, which now proceeds to the House floor, was approved largely along party lines.

But an amendment by U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama – which would prohibit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from further implementing its Wasteful and Inappropriate Services, or WISeR, model – was reportedly approved unanimously, with lawmakers noting concern it “may create burdens and delays for patients and providers.”

“The committee believes that any proposal to impose prior authorization requirements in traditional Medicare should be subject to robust congressional oversight and transparent evaluation of impacts on beneficiary access to care, provider burden, and program costs,” the amendment read.

The rider is the latest manifestation of efforts to halt WISeR, which launched in five states, including Washington, at the start of this year.

“My constituents should not have to suffer through bureaucratic delays disguised as modernization. This pilot program should never have been implemented without congressional oversight, and I call on my colleagues to stand up for Medicare patients and put a stop to WISeR,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington said in a recent statement.

WISeR reviews requests for some of the most costly procedures. They include epidural steroid injections for pain management, skin and tissue substitutes, less invasive treatments for spinal stenosis and osteoarthritic knees, nerve stimulation for issues like sleep apnea and incontinence, among others. 

Federal health officials have said the program’s goal is to root out fraud, waste and abuse with Medicare, the federal program that provides health coverage to people older than 65 and younger people with disabilities. But seniors, health care providers and lawmakers have said they have evidence WISeR is delaying or thwarting care without reasonable justification.

Cantwell recently issued a report based on patient feedback and healthcare provider data that found WISeR significantly increased wait times for seniors to receive care and prioritized care denials over a patient’s doctor’s recommendation. The U.S. Government Accountability Office also recently found that the pilot program required review by Congress before being implemented. 

Eighteen Democratic senators, including Cantwell and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, have signed onto a resolution from U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, to invoke the Congressional Review Act to overturn continued use of the program.