HHS turns to Silicon Valley to solve the exhaustion of American caregivers

On Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new $2 million Caregiver Artificial Intelligence Prize Competition. The initiative challenges tech companies to build AI tools that can help the millions of Americans currently caring for aging parents and people with disabilities. 

The competition, led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), is a direct response to the country’s “silver tsunami.” As the population ages, the demand for care is skyrocketing, but the number of professional workers cannot keep up. Family members are filling the gap, often at a high personal cost. 

Until now, the MAHA framework has been largely defined by its focus on chronic disease prevention, dietary reform, and environmental health. By folding AI-driven structural support into this agenda, the department is signaling a recognition that the “health” of the nation relies as much on its social infrastructure as its food supply. 

HHS data released alongside the announcement indicates that nearly half of informal caregivers report worsening mental health, while only a quarter describe their own physical health as “good.” The strain is a compounding factor in the very chronic disease epidemic the MAHA initiative aims to curb. When caregivers burn out, the health outcomes of those they care for—and their own—deteriorate, driving up costs for Medicare and Medicaid. 

“America’s caregivers carry our nation’s most vulnerable on their shoulders, and they do it with a strength and devotion that rarely gets the recognition it deserves,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in a statement. “With the Caregiver AI Challenge, we are advancing the goals of the Make America Healthy Again Strategy Report by mobilizing innovation to lighten caregivers’ load and ensure every family has the support they need to care for the people they love.” 

What HHS Is Looking For

The competition targets two specific verticals for innovation: 

1. Direct Caregiver Support: Tools that assist family friends and direct workers in providing safety and “person-centered” care at home. 

1. Systemic Efficiency: Platforms that help employers improve scheduling, training, and operational efficiency to retain the dwindling professional workforce. 

“These tools aim to educate, assist, and reduce administrative strain so caregivers can focus on their own well-being,” the department noted. 

AgeTech market growth

HHS is entering a sector that investors have dubbed “AgeTech,” a market that has seen uneven growth over the last decade. While the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and ARPA-H have previously funded high-tech research into Alzheimer’s detection and drug discovery, the ACL’s prize is distinct in its focus on practicality. 

The goal isn’t a new molecule, but a better workflow. 

This aligns with recent industry trends where startups are moving away from “robot companions” toward less flashy, utility-focused AI—automated insurance claims processing, voice-assisted care logs, and predictive scheduling algorithms that prevent workforce burnout before it happens. 

However, the $2 million purse is relatively modest compared to the billions flowing into generative AI elsewhere in healthcare. Industry analysts suggest the prize is less about the funding itself and more about signaling to the private sector that the federal government is ready to fast-track regulatory pathways or procurement for tools that work. 

“We aim to identify technologies that empower caregivers and expand access to high-quality care at home,” said Mary Lazare, the Acting Administrator for Community Living in a statement. The emphasis on home is key; shifting care away from costly institutional settings has been a bipartisan policy goal for decades, but one that fails without a supported workforce. 

The initiative builds on a scaffolding of previous caregiver support programs, including the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers and the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council. However, the injection of the MAHA branding suggests a shift in how these programs may be prioritized.