For the owners and executives of ANCOR member agencies, the word “risk” isn’t an abstract concept. It’s a daily reality. You manage the delicate balance of thin margins, complex Medicaid compliance, and the profound responsibility of supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
In the tech world, the mantra is often “move fast and break things.” But in the I/DD space, if you break things, people lose services and agencies lose their licenses. That is why, despite having a suite of AI features ready for deployment, Statewise made a strategic decision to stop.
We didn’t ship a single line of AI code until we wrote our AI Constitution. As an AI practitioner speaking to agency owners, I want to explain why this wasn’t just a “tech” decision… it was a protection of your mission.
The Regulatory Landscape of 2026
We are operating in a new era of oversight. URAC has established rigorous AI accreditation standards, and CMS has clarified that the “black box” excuse (the idea that we don’t know why an AI made a certain decision) is no longer acceptable for Medicare or Medicaid systems.
For an ANCOR member, AI should be a tool to combat the direct support professional (DSP) crisis and administrative burnout. However, without a formal governance framework from your software partners, AI is a liability.
Our Framework: The Six Pillars of Governance
Our Constitution isn’t a policy buried in a drawer; it’s the filter for every product decision we make. For I/DD providers, three of these pillars are particularly vital:
Augmentation, Not Replacement: We believe AI should take the administrative load off your team, not replace the human judgment of a QIDP or a Case Manager. AI drafts and suggests; humans decide.
The “Short Leash” Policy: By default, AI has zero access to your data. It must “ask” for permission and explain its utility before it can interact with any workflow. We decide what the AI can do before it runs, not after it makes a mistake.
Data Sovereignty and PHI: Your individuals’ data stays within our secure infrastructure. We do not (and will never) use PHI to train external, third-party models. When you are audited, you can point to a closed, secure loop.
The Deterministic Line: Why We Say “No” to AI Billing
There is a lot of “AI Hype” in the HR and EHR space right now. Some vendors claim their AI can autonomously handle Medicaid billing and claims.
We disagree. Medicaid billing for I/DD services requires 100% deterministic accuracy. A “hallucination” (where an AI confidently asserts a falsehood) in a billing code can trigger a recoupment that could jeopardize your agency’s solvency.
Our Constitution draws a hard line: AI will not run billing rules or make claims decisions. We use AI to help our engineers write more robust code and to help our product team track shifting state regulations. But the actual “math” of your billing remains in a deterministic rules engine. We prioritize your compliance over a flashy sales demo.
Empowering the “Human in the Loop”
To make this real, we’ve established AI Champions across every department at Statewise. These aren’t just coders; they are experts in customer success and support who understand the specific needs of I/DD providers.
Our CEO, Cole Ballweg, says it best: “This is a people business. AI should take great people and make them even greater.” For your agency, this means AI should be the tool that handles the “paperwork” of a 15-minute check-in, allowing your staff to spend more time on person-centered planning and less time on data entry.
Choosing a Partner, Not Just a Vendor
As providers, you are often the last safety net for the individuals you serve. You deserve technology partners who respect that gravity.
Writing an AI Constitution slowed us down. It delayed our “go-to-market” date for several new features. But in the I/DD world, being right is more important than being first. We invite you to ask your other technology vendors: “Do you have an AI Constitution? And where do you draw the line?”
At Statewise, the line is drawn at your trust. We aren’t just building smarter software; we’re building a safer environment for the providers who make a difference every day.
Kevin Jett is the COO at Statewise.
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