New Medicaid Alliance to Tackle AI Safety and Standards Across States

Acentra Health, Washington HCA, Arizona HCCCS, Amazon Web Services, and National and Industry Leaders Launch SAMA to Guide Safe, Effective AI in Medicaid

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acentra Health, a technology and health solutions and services company dedicated to accelerating better health outcomes for its clients and the populations they serve, today announced the launch of the Safe AI in Medicaid Alliance (SAMA), a collaborative initiative uniting Medicaid leaders, policy experts, and technology innovators to develop safe and responsible Medicaid-focused frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and use.

Created with input and participation from the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Amazon Web Services (AWS), McKinsey & Co., Arcadia, and the Acentra Health Healthcare Advisory Board, SAMA will fill a long-standing gap in the national AI policy landscape by addressing the unique operational, compliance, and equity challenges facing state Medicaid programs.

“In Medicaid, the stakes are too high to rely on generic AI governance,” said Daniel Hallenbeck, Vice President of Strategy and former New York Medicaid Chief Technology Officer. “SAMA offers a dedicated space for states and partners to define what safe, transparent, and scalable AI adoption and use looks like in the real world.”

Launched at the State HIT conference earlier this year, SAMA formally convened in August at the Medicaid Enterprise Systems Conference (MESC), where leaders discussed:

• Challenges state Medicaid agencies are facing with respect to AI.
• How state Medicaid agencies and private sector partners will collaborate through SAMA.
• Draft deliverables, including shared evaluation frameworks for AI use cases and risk tiers.
  

“This alliance isn’t about abstract ethics — it’s about building practical tools to ensure AI improves outcomes without creating new risks for vulnerable populations,” said Julie Boughn of JBoughn Advisory Services, LLC, and former Director of the Data and Systems Group within the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "The Alliance is collaborating to create practical tools that states can use right away to improve outcomes in their programs. Alliance members have all agreed that we do not compete on AI safety.”

Over the past month, SAMA has grown quickly to include 32 states and one U.S. territory. Other states and partners interested in joining SAMA can visit acentra.com/sama to join upcoming workgroup sessions and help shape the future of AI in Medicaid.

About Acentra Health
Acentra Health combines public sector knowledge, clinical expertise, and technological ingenuity to modernize the healthcare experience for state and federal partners and their priority populations. From designing and developing advanced claims, encounter, and provider solutions that drive efficiency and cost savings to delivering clinically focused solution models for care management and quality oversight, Acentra Health is accelerating better health outcomes. Acentra Health is backed by Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG), a global investment firm. Learn more at acentra.com.

Media Contact:
Marnie Keogh, Senior Vice President, Marketing
Acentra Health
703-214-3666
Marnie.Keogh@Acentra.com

Janice Moore, Vice President, Communications
Acentra Health
703-214-3552
Janice.Moore@Acentra.com

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