UnitedHealthcare (NYSE:UNH) has launched Avery, a generative artificial intelligence assistant designed to help members manage healthcare services and assist customer support teams. The AI tool responds to questions in natural language at any time of day, offering guidance on topics such as coverage, claims, cost estimates, appointment scheduling and care options.
Avery is currently accessible to about 6.5 million members enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans and roughly 160,000 Medicare Advantage members through the UnitedHealthcare mobile app and the myuhc.com platform. The company plans to broaden availability to approximately 20.5 million commercial, Medicare and Medicaid members by the end of the year.
The assistant is capable of addressing questions about coverage and benefits, arranging appointments, providing cost estimates, explaining rewards programs, issuing ID card requests, locating providers and checking the status of claims. When a member needs additional support, Avery can connect them with a human advocate while sharing a summary of the interaction to avoid repeating information.
“People want health care to be easier to use and tailored to their personal needs,” said Dan Kueter, CEO for UnitedHealthcare’s commercial business. “Avery is one way we are responding to consumer demand for a more coordinated and simpler experience.”
The company said that roughly 90% of members who interact with Avery resolve their inquiries without needing help from a human representative. For service teams, the assistant provides real-time insights into member history and prior interactions to improve the speed and efficiency of issue resolution.
Avery can also arrange appointments with in-network primary care physicians on behalf of members and direct users toward providers within their network while factoring in coverage details and cost preferences. UnitedHealthcare said the system operates under governance and oversight frameworks intended to ensure safety, fairness and privacy.
The assistant is one of more than 1,000 AI tools deployed across UnitedHealth Group, which plans to invest about $1.6 billion in artificial intelligence this year, according to the company.