Terry Savage: AI used to guide seniors to Medicare programs
Does the concept of artificial intelligence intimidate you? Or do you figure it won't have much impact on your life, so why bother learning about it? Well, AI is definitely entering — and improving — your life, whether you choose it or not.
When I first wrote about ChatGPT several years ago, AI was viewed as a powerful tool to collect information from huge databases and sort it out to provide answers to questions. Since then, AI has quickly morphed into a useful tool for business and individuals, creating accurate and life-like interactions that make outcomes easier.
For example, the new Social Security commissioner, a former tech payments CEO, has announced that Social Security will soon be using AI in its call centers. If the idea of talking to a 'robot' sends chills down your spine, think again. In this column, I'll show you a company that is already using AI in its call center — and generating responses that truly make you think you're talking to a helpful person.
A reality check
It's a generational thing. When I want help after calling a toll-free number for product information or credit card adjustments or insurance issues, I want to talk to an intelligent human being. I guess there aren't enough to go around!
One of my pet peeves is being transferred to a voice messaging system that tries to 'help' me decide how to get answers to a simple question. They offer five choices, none of which is helpful. Representative, please!
The only thing worse than a voice-activated decision tree is getting transferred to a live person who just happens to live in a foreign country and who is obviously responding off a script.
If I ask to talk to a supervisor, I'm told there is no supervisor available! Don't these companies care about their customers? (Insert your own swear word here!)
Artificial intelligence that's real
So I must say I was absolutely shocked to hear a demonstration of AI being used by eHealth to start the process of guiding seniors to the appropriate choices for Medicare programs.
For many years, eHealth has been a popular health insurance marketplace that helps people find the right insurance coverage by comparison-shopping plans from more than 180 insurers for coverage ranging from Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans to individual and family health policies, along with other benefits such as dental and vision.
Many people access eHealth through its website, eHealth.com. Others use their toll-free number 1-800-EHEALTH (1-800-343-2584) to reach their licensed and helpful insurance agents.
Getting to the agent licensed in your state of residence, and knowledgeable about your specific product request, could take a lot of time during busy days around Medicare enrollment. And what about calls that come in late at night?
That's why eHealth created 'Alice' — an AI 'agent' who does not actually sell insurance policies but who asks relevant questions to direct you to the correct licensed agent. You'd swear that you are talking to a live person, since 'her' responses are not only appropriate but friendly.
Listening to the demo that eHealth sent me, I was absolutely blown away. I knew that you'd want to hear the same thing, so if you are reading this column online at my website you can click on this link in the article.
In this case, an audio demo is worth a thousand words! Even if you're not shopping for health insurance, I recommend listening to this short clip of an interaction between someone calling the toll-free line late at night and the AI agent, Alice.
This company has taken AI to the next level. Suddenly, you'll understand how much more helpful an AI agent can be than a call center in the middle of nowhere! And, on a personal level, you'll see how AI has so much potential to change our lives for the better (yes, or for the worse).
I spoke with Ketan Babaria, chief digital and AI officer of eHealth. He notes that while AI is not (yet) selling policies, it is making a big difference in their processes: 'Our new AI agents are trained to be patient, caring and sympathetic. As a result, we are making it easier and faster for people to start the shopping process for a Medicare plan, enabling them to more quickly connect with a licensed agent who can help them comparison shop for the right health coverage.'
So the next time you hear that your call will be answered by AI, don't hang up in fear, hoping that the next time you'll get a 'real person.' Odds are that soon you'll be connecting with many AI agents.
And the odds are even better that you'll get the correct answer from a compassionate robot than you'd get from the overworked and underinformed call center worker. That's The Savage Truth.
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