Google Cloud has revealed updates on how it is utilizing its Gemini and Vertex AI models to enhance healthcare interactions, just ahead of the HIMSS Conference scheduled for next week in Las Vegas. The technology giant is collaborating with various healthcare organizations to integrate AI across multiple areas, from claims processing to patient engagement. Here are five initiatives highlighted by Google Cloud this week:
CVS
Google Cloud has partnered with CVS Health to develop a new platform aimed at improving how individuals interact with their healthcare. Named Health100, this platform will employ AI to offer consumers real-time guidance on accessing care and adhering to their healthcare plans. It is designed to assist users in managing appointments, medications, understanding costs, and navigating the healthcare system more effectively, regardless of their pharmacy, provider, or coverage status. Google Cloud is providing the technological backbone for this new platform, while CVS leverages its network of pharmacies and clinics to deliver more personalized healthcare advice.
Humana
Humana and Google Cloud are collaborating to implement an AI tool that enhances customer service representatives’ ability to assist members. The tool, named Agent Assist, is designed to provide real-time support during member calls by summarizing conversations and presenting relevant benefits information. The initiative aims to reduce the administrative workload for Humana staff, enabling them to focus on providing clearer and more personalized support to members with complex needs.
Highmark Health
Google Cloud has shared the results of its collaboration with Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health to broaden the application of generative AI across its workforce. Highmark has developed its internal AI assistant, Sidekick, using Google Cloud tools, which has seen its usage expand from approximately 1 million interactions to over 6 million prompts in roughly a year. The assistant now supports various functionalities for employees on both the payer and provider sides, including data analysis, documentation preparation, and automated administrative tasks. Highmark reported that the utilization of Sidekick generated nearly $28 million in value last year through productivity gains and increased efficiency.
Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics has teamed up with Google Cloud to enhance how patients interpret their laboratory results. The partnership has led to the development of a generative AI chat feature in the Quest app, which explains lab results in simple language and allows patients to inquire about their biomarkers and health trends. This feature aims to distill years of laboratory data into a clear summary, helping patients better understand their results prior to medical appointments.
Waystar
Revenue cycle management company Waystar is advancing its partnership with Google Cloud to expand its use of AI in revenue cycle processes. By integrating Waystar’s financial and clinical data with Google Cloud’s technological infrastructure, the companies aim to create a self-sustaining revenue cycle system that optimizes claim processing and enhances patient experiences. Since their collaboration began in 2024, Waystar reports that its AI-driven platform has already prevented more than $15 billion in denied claims and reduced the time spent on appeals and collections by approximately 90 percent. The expanded collaboration deepens Waystar’s integration with Google Cloud’s large language models and Gemini data infrastructure, enabling the company to roll out new automation features more swiftly, potentially facilitating quicker payment for healthcare providers while also improving accuracy for patients.
