Are Americans ready to trust AI with their health insurance?

With lawsuits targeting major insurers for their use of artificial intelligence, questions are mounting over how much trust the public places in AI when it comes to their health. So how do insured Americans feel about it?

A recent YouGov Surveys: Serviced poll asked 1,181 adults with health insurance how much they trust  AI to handle a range of insurance-related processes. The results suggest that trust in AI isn’t particularly strong, especially when it comes to the parts of the process that matter most.

Claims? Most people still want a human in the loop

Let’s start with the issue at the heart of the lawsuits. UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, and Humana have all faced legal challenges over claims that they used AI tools to guide or automate insurance claim denials. While insurers say the tools are meant to “support” decisions, not make them, some reports allege otherwise.

It may come as no surprise, then, that just 30% of insured Americans said they trust AI to evaluate and approve claims. Nearly twice as many (55%) said they distrust it. The picture isn’t much better for claim submission, where 35% said they trust AI and 50% said they don’t.

Customer support isn’t faring much better. Fewer than two in five (38%) trust AI to handle their questions or issues. Almost half (47%) say they distrust it.

But there’s a little more confidence when AI is advising – not deciding

There are some areas where AI is seen in a slightly more positive light. When it comes to identifying preventive care or wellness programs, things like screenings, nutrition guidance, or exercise plans, 43% of people said they trust AI, while 41% said they don’t. That’s the only category with a positive net trust score.

Coverage recommendations, suggesting health insurance plans based on personal needs or budgets land in the middle: 41% trust, 44% distrust. Fraud detection? Evenly split: 41% trust vs. 42% distrust.

Recent headlines shaping public sentiment?

The skepticism reflected in this poll comes just as stories about insurers’ use of AI tools are gaining national attention. In one ongoing case, UnitedHealthcare is accused of using a tool called nH Predict to deny care to elderly patients despite medical staff recommending otherwise. The lawsuit alleges that the tool had a 90% error rate, with nine in ten denials later overturned.

UnitedHealth has denied that the AI system is used to make final coverage decisions, saying it’s simply a guide. But the lawsuit, and others like it, may already be shaping how Americans feel about AI’s role in their health insurance.

The bottom line

Americans with health insurance are still wary of AI’s role, especially when it comes to decisions about claims and coverage. Trust improves when AI is used for suggestions rather than approvals, but the general sentiment is clear: when it comes to health, people still want a human touch.

Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on March 21-24, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,181 adults (aged 18+ years) in the US, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, race, gender, education, and region to be representative of all adults in the US (18 years or older), and reflect the latest population estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.