| It’s been a couple of months since Utah raised eyebrows by allowing the startup Doctronic to use AI to refill prescriptions. Turns out, the state has a lot more in store. |
| I recently caught up with Zach Boyd, head of Utah’s Office of AI Policy, who oversees the program that greenlit Doctronic’s pilot. The office makes agreements with organizations across industries, giving them flexibility to use AI in ways that would ordinarily run afoul of certain state laws and regulations. A month ago, it cleared another company called Legion Health to autonomously refill mental health prescriptions. |
| In a new story out this morning, I report that there are 23 applicants (most of them in healthcare) the office is treating seriously, meaning it’s asked them for a formal proposal. Boyd anticipates that a lot of them will move into the program. |
| Some of them do work that’s largely algorithmic, like prescription refills. But I was intrigued by another category of applicants that Boyd described: automating primary care for low-risk conditions, from intake to diagnosis to prescription and follow-up. |
| Utah seems way far ahead of other states in terms of unleashing AI in medical care. Some folks (including Utah’s medical board, which wasn’t consulted) are understandably wary of the state’s approach. |
| Also, why Utah? One source suggested it’s out of necessity — rural states with a scarcity of providers tend to be pretty innovative in trying to expand access. But at least a few other states seem to be following. According to the consulting firm Manatt, Texas has also set up a “sandbox” to allow AI experimentation, and four other states have introduced legislation in 2026 to do so. |
| The health tech team often wonders how close we’re getting to AI operating in healthcare without a human doctor in the mix. Though we’re waiting for data on the outcomes of Utah’s pilots, the state’s program signals to me that the technology is here; it’s the laws and regulations that haven’t yet arrived. Read the story
here. |
| - Shelby |
