35% of Patients Say No Amount of Cost Savings Would Make Them Accept AI for Billing Support, New Sogolytics Study

Sogolytics, the experience management platform trusted by enterprises to capture customer and employee insights, today released its Healthcare AI Adoption & Trust Report, a national study of 1,012 U.S. adults examining how patients view the role of artificial intelligence across the healthcare experience.  

The findings reveal a striking divide: while patients are increasingly comfortable letting AI handle scheduling and other administrative tasks, they draw the line when AI touches diagnosis, billing, or anything that could remove a human from the loop. 

More than a third of respondents said no amount of cost savings would convince them to accept AI for billing support, signaling that financial incentives alone won't overcome a deep-rooted trust deficit between patients and the institutions that bill them. 

Key findings from the report: 

Patient acceptance of AI varies dramatically by task. 

• 52% of patients are comfortable with AI for scheduling, the highest comfort level of any task tested. 
• Only 37% are comfortable with AI for diagnosis assistance. 
• 35% say no amount of cost savings would make them accept AI for billing support. 

Human-in-the-loop is crucial to AI adoption. 

• 47% say a human representative always being available would make them more comfortable with AI — the top reassurance factor. 
• 38% cite lack of human oversight as their #1 concern about AI in healthcare. 

The healthcare trust crisis is institutional. 

• Insurance companies are trusted by just 49% of patients — with 26% actively distrusting them. 
• Billing departments sit at 52% trust — just three points above insurance companies. 

Billing frustration is concentrated among younger patients. 

• 63% of patients aged 25–34 hit at least one billing problem, vs. just 14% of those 65 and older. 
• 30% of patients aged 25–34 found billing confusing or worse — nearly four times the rate of those 65 and older. 

Taken together, the data points to a clear playbook for healthcare leaders: AI investments will see the fastest acceptance in scheduling and other administrative workflows, while diagnosis and billing applications require visible human oversight, transparent design, and rebuilt institutional trust before patients will follow. The generational gap in billing frustration also suggests that fixing the billing experience, with or without AI, should be a top priority for organizations serving younger patients. 

Methodology 

In early 2026, Sogolytics surveyed 1,012 U.S. adults about their most recent healthcare experiences. The study examined what patients paid, how the process felt, who they trusted, and how they viewed AI’s potential role across scheduling, billing, diagnosis, and other touchpoints. 

Read the full report here.