Humana and Google partner on healthcare AI ‘Agent Assist’ for improved member support
Humana is using artificial intelligence to back its member support call centers with the launch of a new virtual agent that it says can anticipate the needs of customers and direct staff to helpful information. The new tool, unveiled last week, is backed by the Google Cloud.
In a statement, the insurer said it employs 20,000 people who manage 80 million phone calls from members every year. In this case, AI is not being deployed to replace them—instead, Humana said the system will provide support teams with real-time summaries of calls as it operates in the background, pulling up the information the AI suspects the human agent will need based on context clues in the conversation.
By providing proactive support, summaries of the call, and by acting as a guide to ensure the agent is complying with all laws and policies, Humana said it can improve “consistency across interactions” and automate manual tasks to “ensure advocates can prioritize member needs effectively.”
“We are always looking for new ways to enhance the member experience by making those interactions more personalized, accurate and faster,” Japan Mehta, chief information officer, Humana, said in the statement. “Agent Assist puts responsible innovation directly into the hands of our advocates, helping them to focus on what matters—helping our members.”
Humana said the Google Cloud infrastructure will support data privacy and security, as many of these conversations involve sensitive personal information related to patient health. Additionally, it’s using Google’s Gemini LLM platform as a core component of the Agent Assist, given the capabilities of the chatbot to pull answers very quickly from large data sets.
Agentic AI, focused on problem solving
Humana said the new tool is built using its existing agentic AI technology, which is a type of machine learning with algorithms that allow it to perform tasks without constant user input. In this case, to search and pull insights from data sets, all in an effort to better answer member questions on getting medical bills paid, coverage options and more.
In addition to Gemini, Humana added that the system is enhanced by Google Cloud's Vertex AI, all with the goal of maximizing automation while maintaining the “human in the loop” safeguards necessary for sensitive encounters related to healthcare.
The launch of the Agent Assist is part of a larger partnership between Google and the insurer to improve the capabilities of healthcare AI.
“Our collaboration with Humana is a blueprint for the future of healthcare—where technology doesn’t replace the human element but radically enhances it,” Chris Sakalosky, vice president of strategic industries, Google Cloud, said. “By integrating Gemini Enterprise for CX, we’re giving Humana’s advocates an agent that handles the complexity of benefits in the background, so they can focus on the empathy and care that members deserve."
“This isn't just about efficiency; it's about redefining the standard for member support,” he added.
As part of its deployment, the companies said the AI agent will be continuously reviewed and monitored to ensure ongoing compliance and improve performance over time.
First deployed on a limited basis in October 2025, the tool will be rolled out to all call centers in early 2026, Humana confirmed.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.