Artificial Intelligence Saves Payers Time and Money

Some improvements may seem mundane, such as automating claims processing or using chatbots (virtual agents) to handle interactions with policyholders. Yet the financial opportunities for health insurers are far from humdrum. A 2018 Accenture analysis estimated insurers can save $7 billion in 18 months by using AI to automate core administrative functions -- the equivalent of $1.5 million in operating income for every 100 full-time employees. Then there are the future possibilities of AI, such as orchestrating a seamless patient experience -- from selecting specialists within an insurer's network to prescribing of drugs upon discharge. At Blue Health Intelligence (BHI), which provides clinical data expertise for Blues plans around the United States, programmers attacked the problem of high-cost claimants, defined as members having annual costs surpassing $250,000.