UnitedHealthcare Expands AI Companion Avery to 21 Mn Members

The insurer said Avery has resolved 90% of member interactions so far. In the remaining 10% of cases, the tool can transfer members to a human advocate for further assistance.

UnitedHealthcare has expanded access to Avery, its generative artificial intelligence (AI) companion for care coordination, to 21 million members, up from approximately 6.66 million during its initial rollout earlier this year.

The insurer said Avery has resolved 90% of member interactions so far. In the remaining 10% of cases, the tool can transfer members to a human advocate for further assistance.

Initially, Avery was available to approximately 6.5 million members enrolled in employer-sponsored plans and 160,000 Medicare Advantage members. The latest expansion extends its reach to a substantially larger portion of UnitedHealthcare's membership.

Craig Kurtzweil, chief data and analytics officer at UnitedHealthcare, told Fierce Healthcare that positive early results and user feedback supported the decision to expand access.

AI Companion Supports Benefits and Claims Navigation

Avery helps members navigate their health plans by providing information on deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, provider networks, healthcare pricing and claims processing.

According to Kurtzweil, the platform relies on underlying data systems that provide a foundation for its responses. This data layer is intended to improve the accuracy of information delivered to members and support trust in the tool.

“Making this as accurate as possible is a big piece of gaining that trust with the consumers,” Kurtzweil said.

The AI companion is part of UnitedHealthcare's broader effort to help members understand their healthcare coverage and make informed decisions about providers and care options. The insurer also offers plan designs such as Surest, which uses variable copayments to give members greater visibility into healthcare costs.

UnitedHealthcare Plans Additional Avery Features

UnitedHealthcare is developing additional capabilities for Avery, including a feature that would allow the AI companion to contact healthcare providers and schedule appointments on members' behalf.

The functionality is intended to simplify appointment scheduling and reduce administrative barriers that can delay access to care.

The insurer also plans to expand Avery's availability across its membership, with the long-term goal of making the tool accessible to all enrollees.

As adoption grows, UnitedHealthcare is positioning Avery as a digital support channel for members seeking information about benefits, costs, claims, and care coordination.

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