How AI is helping make healthcare support simpler
September 28, 2026 | 3-minute read
[MUSIC PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND THROUGHOUT THE VIDEO]
[Split screen, Leah Groos walking down an office hallway, Leah Groos in an office meeting, writing on a whiteboard]
[On-screen text: Intersection of technology and human impact]
LEAH GROOS: It's a really exciting place to be when you can take something that was a manual process, and now we've made it a seamless, elegant experience
[Split screens, a computer monitor displaying data, hands typing on a laptop, the word “vision” circled on a whiteboard]
that connects the members to their benefits easier and faster.
[Leah Groos walking onto a studio set and sitting on a stool]
[On-screen text: Leah Groos, Senior Product Manager, Optum Financial]
I'm Leah Groos. I'm a senior product manager here at Optum Financial.
[Leah Groos speaking on screen]
We help health plans and employers deliver health benefits to their members. So no matter where they come into us, whether they've called or gone to the website or downloaded an app, that they're met and greeted with the same level of service and support and intelligence. AI enables us to create each one of those experiences, personal and bespoke for each member. You're not repeating yourself. You're not having to navigate complex menus. When a member says, wait, wait, wait, slow down, we can actually slow that cadence down. And that experience is now personal. We're able to connect the voice experience to the digital experience by leveraging other channels like SMS. Being able to send a text message that enables them to quickly get into the digital experience, where they can then self-serve. Using AI and thoughtful product design enables us to meet members exactly where they're at, giving them the help and the help and service that they deserve. This is really where technology and human impact intersect.
[On-screen text: Smarter service. Less friction. Better experiences. Always innovating.]
[On-screen text: Optum]
Every healthcare experience includes financial components, like paying for care and understanding benefit coverage. Optum Financial exists to simplify that experience, and we’re using AI to make it easier for people to get the support they need, understand and use their healthcare benefits, and complete financial transactions more simply and securely.
Consider a common experience: Calling with a question about your benefits coverage. Some questions are relatively straightforward while others require an experienced professional to help sort through more complex issues.
Both Optum and the healthcare consumers want informed, fast, and accurate resolution, preferably in one call without talking to more than one person.
AI-enabled call center technology helps most callers resolve their questions quickly and accurately, giving customer service teams more time to work directly with people who have more complicated questions. AI technology also can help call center agents find the information they need more quickly during the call.
The results are encouraging. In a sample of 10M calls, 90% were resolved with one call and 94% of callers reported being satisfied with their service. Numbers like these are particularly meaningful for Medicare and Medicaid members, where getting the right information quickly means people can access the services and benefits available to them.
Using AI to strengthen security
A better customer experience also has to be a secure one.
Call centers are targeted by criminals attempting to obtain personal information. Optum Financial is using AI to help identify potentially high-risk calls and deep-fake callers while at the same time making it easier to connect legitimate callers to call center agents quickly.
AI tools can help flag and disarm risks while using audio identifiers to verify customers. While the caller experiences a faster response or a smoother verification process, the technology is helping call center teams manage risk and deliver support more efficiently.
The goal is simple: Make security stronger while making the customer experience simpler.
Putting people at the center
For Optum Financial, the value of AI is measured by the experience it creates for the people we serve. A question answered without a transfer. A representative who has the information they need when they need it. A customer who can complete a conversation more quickly and securely.
Those small improvements add up to a healthcare experience that feels less complicated, making the health system work better for everyone.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 310,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
Optum Media Contact:
newsroom@optum.com
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