AI has a role in identifying veterans who need care

In late 2020, then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar tapped Berkeley, California-based Cogitativo to help inform the Trump Administration's vaccine distribution strategy. The company had developed a machine learning model that could predict the probability a patient would end up in an intensive care unit bed. Using 60 million records from HHS, Cogitativo created risk scores that flagged individuals who might be at particular risk from the effects of COVID-19. Now, explained CEO Gary Velasquez, the company has been tasked with a new project: Working with the Veterans Health Administration to identify beneficiaries who have deferred care during COVID-19. At this point, said Velasquez in an interview with Healthcare IT News, "You're worried about the veterans you haven't seen."