Healthcare Sector Calls for Unified Federal Framework to Unlock AI’s Full Potential for Patients

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

A new report from the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) and management consulting and technology firm ZS reveals the risks of today's highly fragmented and inconsistent approach to regulating AI in the healthcare industry and provides a roadmap of nine practical policy recommendations to address these barriers.

Despite growing momentum and interest in its potential, adoption of AI across the healthcare ecosystem is inhibited by evolving, disparate federal and state policy frameworks, regulatory uncertainty, infrastructure development needs, challenges in data interoperability, and growing concerns around fairness and trust. These barriers continue to stunt progress and impede the sector’s potential to improve patient outcomes and lower costs.

“AI can further revolutionize patient care and reduce provider burden, but only if policymakers and industry move in lockstep,” said Maria Ghazal, President & CEO of HLC. “We need a clear, forward-looking national standard that harmonizes regulations and builds trust across all constituency groups, especially patients. As this report outlines, predictability and collaboration between public and private sectors are essential to harness AI’s full potential for better outcomes and lower costs.”

The report, entitled “ Unleashing AI’s Potential for Patients: A Cross-Sectoral Roadmap for Healthcare,” was developed following in-depth interviews with experts representing 27 HLC member organizations across the healthcare ecosystem. It aims to guide public-private collaboration by identifying three primary barriers to AI adoption and provides specific recommendations for addressing them:

• Barrier: Governance and Regulatory Complexity
  • Recommendation: Establish centralized legislation, modernize regulations, clarify accountability across all stakeholders, and ensure liability protections for responsible AI use in patient care.
• Barrier: Data Accessand Infrastructure Challenges
  • Recommendation: Fortify data readiness and sharing, establish transparency standards, mitigate data bias, and develop universal definitions for AI use.
• Barrier: Capabilities and End User Trust
  • Recommendation: Enhance workforce training and education, including incentivizing employee training and revamping curriculum to drive inherent AI-readiness.

In addition, the report offers 25 actionable tactics prioritized by impact and effort. Each is illustrative and non-prescriptive, instead highlighting potential approaches to achieve the nine policy recommendations.

“This report serves as a practical guide for how public and private stakeholders can work together to unlock AI’s full potential in healthcare,” said Bill Coyle, Chairperson, ZS. “Drawing on insights from leaders actively implementing these technologies, it highlights real-world barriers to adoption and the policy solutions needed to overcome them. Removing these barriers can improve care quality, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and advance more patient-centered care across the healthcare system.”

Ghazal added, “Rapid advances in AI technologies are already enhancing diagnostics, streamlining operations, accelerating research and development, and improving patient care. However, AI implementation remains hindered due to regulatory complexity, data and infrastructure challenges, and workforce skill gaps.”

You can view the full report here.

States are moving fast, as seen with Utah’s new policies that allow the use of AI to support certain prescription renewal processes. While these efforts reflect states responding to real access and workforce challenges, they also highlight how healthcare AI policy is developing unevenly across the country. As more states explore their own approaches, the need for clear federal standards becomes more pressing to ensure patients benefit from innovation in a safe and consistent way, regardless of where they reside.

About Healthcare Leadership Council

The Healthcare Leadership Council is the only Washington organization uniting the nation’s healthcare industry leaders from across the continuum to discuss major, sector-wide issues, generate innovative solutions to unleash private sector ingenuity, and advocate for policies to improve our nation’s healthcare delivery system. Follow us on LinkedIn and X/Twitter.

About ZS

ZS is a management consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve life and how we live it. We transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Founded in 1983, ZS has more than 13,000 employees in over 35 offices worldwide. To learn more, visit www.zs.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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PUB: 01/15/2026 10:05 AM/DISC: 01/15/2026 10:05 AM

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