---
title: "‘Thank God they’re still alive’: Kaiser therapists claim its new screening system puts patients at higher risk by delaying their care"
slug: "thank-god-theyre-still-alive-kaiser-therapists-claim-its-new-screening-system-puts-patients-at-higher-risk-by-delaying-t"
date: 2026-03-21
category: tech-pub
tags: []
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/thank-god-theyre-still-alive-kaiser-therapists-claim-its-new-screening-system-puts-patients-at-higher-risk-by-delaying-t
---

# ‘Thank God they’re still alive’: Kaiser therapists claim its new screening system puts patients at higher risk by delaying their care

**Published**: 2026-03-21 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.

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## Summary

- Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.
- Licensed professionals used to be the first point of contact for behavioral health patients; striking workers say that has changed since the rollout.
- Clinical social worker Ilana Marcucci-Morris says she now regularly sees patients who should have been in the ER weeks earlier.
- Kaiser denies the claims, saying it delivers 'timely, high-quality care' – striking employees strongly disagree.

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## Why it matters

Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.

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## Key Points

- Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.
- Licensed professionals used to be the first point of contact for behavioral health patients; striking workers say that has changed since the rollout.
- Clinical social worker Ilana Marcucci-Morris says she now regularly sees patients who should have been in the ER weeks earlier.
- Kaiser denies the claims, saying it delivers 'timely, high-quality care' – striking employees strongly disagree.

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## Nauti's Take

When seasoned clinicians say 'thank God they're still alive,' that is not a system feature – it is a red flag. Kaiser likely sells the AI screening internally as an efficiency gain; what it sounds like in practice is liability minimization at the expense of the most vulnerable. The fact that striking employees are the only ones speaking openly about this says a lot about transparency culture in US healthcare. AI in psychiatry is not inherently wrong – but as a gatekeeper without clinical oversight, it is dangerous.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is ‘Thank God they’re still alive’ about?

**A:** - Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** Kaiser Permanente introduced a new AI-assisted mental health screening system in January 2024; therapists say it has caused dangerous delays in patient care.. Licensed professionals used to be the first point of contact for behavioral health patients; striking workers say that has changed since the rollout.. Clinical social worker Ilana Marcucci-Morris says she now regularly sees patients who should have been in the ER weeks earlier.

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## Related Topics

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## Sources

- [‘Thank God they’re still alive’: Kaiser therapists claim its new screening system puts patients at higher risk by delaying their care](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/21/kaiser-permanente-therapists-ai-strike) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-03-21*