UnitedHealthcare launched a generative AI companion on Thursday called Avery, which aims to improve care coordination for members.
Avery can support members with a variety of issues like coverage and personal benefits, appointment scheduling, cost estimates, wellness programs, ID cards, over-the-counter benefits, provider search, claim approval status and explanation of benefits.
If the AI companion cannot answer the member’s question, it will transfer the member to advocates for a live call. Avery provides the advocate with a summary of the issue so members don’t have to repeat themselves.
“Health care is too complex and people are too often confused by an experience that can feel disconnected and impersonal,” said Amy Jordan, vice president of consumer experience at UnitedHealthcare, in an email. “We are determined to help make health care work better for the people who rely on us for health benefits. Avery is one way we are trying to make the health care experience more like the kind of consumer experiences people have in other areas and with other industries like online retail.”
The new tool is available to about 6.5 million members in UnitedHealthcare’s employer-sponsored plans and 160,000 Medicare Advantage members. The insurer plans to expand to reach a total of 20.5 million members with commercial, Medicare and Medicaid coverage by the end of the year. Members can access Avery via the UnitedHealthcare app or myuhc.com.
Avery was trained based on a “large volume” of chats and calls between advocates and members, which generated a pattern of commonly-asked questions, according to Jordan.
To measure the success of Avery, UnitedHealthcare is tracking criteria like accuracy, completeness, how often members reach out again for future support and more. The company also receives member feedback through a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Ultimately, in launching the AI companion, UnitedHealthcare aims to help members “more easily get the care and support they need,” Jordan said.
“We want to harness the promise of AI in a responsible way to improve health care and create a better consumer experience. Avery is part of a larger effort underway at UnitedHealthcare to create digital solutions that address core pain points in the system and make it better for people,” she stated.
Avery is part of UnitedHealthcare’s $1.6 billion AI investment this year and is one of more than 1,000 AI-powered tools the insurer offers, according to Jordan.
Photo: Vertigo3d, Getty Images
