When AI becomes a therapist: The risks of chatbots in mental health care

As AI chatbots become a surrogate for human connection amid a national mental health crisis, experts are worried about these tools' lack of safeguards — with research showing the models can provide dangerous, sometimes fatal, advice. Regulators and providers alike are scrambling to catch up with a technology that evolves faster than humans are able to understand.

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Top Story Faceless Advice, Real Consequences: The Challenge of AI Chatbots in Mental Health As AI chatbots become a surrogate for human connection amid a national mental health crisis, experts are worried about these tools' lack of safeguards — with research showing the models can provide dangerous, sometimes fatal, advice. Regulators and providers alike are scrambling to catch up with a technology that evolves faster than humans are able to understand. Sponsored Transforming Healthcare Through Contextualized, Decision-Ready Insights Presented by Veradigm Healthcare generates nearly 30% of the world's data, yet most of it remains siloed and unstructured—leaving providers overwhelmed with raw information rather than actionable intelligence. Embedding decision-ready, contextual insights directly into clinical workflows can cut through the noise, reduce alert fatigue, and support value-based care. The result?  Better outcomes, lower costs, and less clinician burnout. Learn more! We Want Your Feedback Your voice helps shape the stories, insights, and events we deliver. Take just a few minutes to complete our short, anonymous audience survey and let us know what you enjoy and what you'd like to see more of. As a thank you, you'll be entered for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card. Take Survey Now

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Redefining Payer Operations: Data-Driven Strategies for the Future of Healthcare [Sponsored] Get actionable strategies and insights from industry leaders to help payers navigate digital transformation, optimize outcomes, and stay ahead in a value-based care environment. Do You Value MedCity News? Take Our Survey! Take the MedCity News Audience Survey and share your thoughts. More Than 100 Organizations Back Bill to Expand Patient Access to Clinical Trials A coalition of 131 healthcare organizations is backing the Clinical Trial Modernization Act, which aims to expand patient access to clinical trials through financial support and other measures. Jazz Pharma Broadens Its Prospects in Epilepsy With Deal for Selective Saniona Drug Saniona's drug candidate could expand Jazz Pharmaceuticals portfolio in epilepsy. But this preclinical small molecule will need to show advantages in safety and efficacy to compete with Biohaven Pharmaceuticals and Xenon Pharmaceuticals, each with clinical-stage drugs that hit the same epilepsy target. Preparing Future Physicians to Address the Adolescent Overdose Crisis: A Call for Curricular Integration Given the scale of the pediatric overdose crisis, medical students must receive early and consistent training on how to screen for substance use and engage in overdose prevention during pediatric encounters. America Is Betting Big On GLP-1s. It Doesn't Have To Be A Gamble GLP-1s have real value, but not all people respond to them the same way. The real question isn't just what these drugs cost, but who they're working for — and our healthcare system doesn't have a reliable way to reconcile the two.

Video   Should For-Profit Companies Be Administering Medicare Advantage Plans? The House Ways and Means Committee's joint oversight and health subcommittee hearing on Medicare Advantage focused on fraud, waste and abuse.  The hearing had seven witnesses, and two of them were the CEOs of Medicare Advantage plans Alignment Health and Scan Health. Notably absent were several large payers, like UnitedHealthcare and Humana, despite past investigations and fines.  This begs the question: should for-profit health plans even be in the business of selling Medicaid Advantage plans?

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MedCity FemFwd: Advancing Value-Based Care in Women's Health In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Keith Berkle, chair of the Privia Medical Group — Mid-Atlantic Board of Governors and president of Virginia Women's Center, who discusses the challenges OBGYNs face in transitioning to value-based care. View Now

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