EmblemHealth is enlisting AI agents to help keep members cool this summer.
Extreme heat is a silent killer, said Dan Knecht, MD, EmblemHealth’s chief medical officer. In New York City, where EmblemHealth is based, more than 500 people die from extreme heat each year.
This summer, EmblemHealth launched its weather resilience program, designed to find members at risk of heat-related illness, and provide them with information and resources.
The health plan uses data about members’ age, chronic conditions and other factors, combined with public data from New York City’s heat vulnerability index, to identify members at risk. Then AI voice agents are used to contact members, providing information about heat safety, cooling centers and other resources.
The program has reached over 2,600 members as of July 8.
“What’s really powerful is that our voice agents are very similar to human beings,” Dr. Knecht told Becker’s. “It’s very organic for our members.”
Most conversations last around five minutes, Dr. Knecht said, with some lasting as long as 15 minutes.
“We keep a human in the loop, meaning, in the event our members have a complex clinical question or social need, our care managers will be able to engage and ensure that we can provide additional support,” Dr. Knecht said.
EmblemHealth plans to expand the weather resilience program to other weather incidents, including extreme cold and poor air quality, Dr. Knecht added. The approach could also be used to deliver alerts on infectious disease and other public health concerns, he said.
“The intent here is to be proactive, personalized and really provide actionable, timely recommendations,” he said.
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