UnitedHealthcare plans to put AI companion Avery in front of 20.5 million members

UnitedHealthcare is widening access to Avery, the AI companion in its app. When it launched Avery on March 26, 2026, the company said it planned to reach 20.5 million commercial, Medicare and Medicaid members by the end of 2026, per UnitedHealth Group’s release.

UnitedHealthcare says 90% of the time, members who use Avery have not needed help from a human advocate. That figure is company reported. UnitedHealthcare has not published how it counts it. When Avery can’t answer, it hands the member to an advocate.

How far it reaches

At launch, Avery reached about 6.5 million employer plan members and 160,000 Medicare Advantage members, about 6.66 million people in all, per the March release. The 20.5 million goal is about three times that.

UnitedHealthcare served 48.3 million people with medical coverage as of Sept. 30, 2026, per UnitedHealth Group’s third quarter results released Oct 13. By our math, 20.5 million is about 42% of them.

What members can do with Avery

Avery is in the UnitedHealthcare app and on myuhc.com and answers around the clock, per the UnitedHealthcare newsroom. The company lists these uses:

• explaining coverage and your own benefits
• cost estimates and plan balances
• finding a doctor in your network
• checking whether a claim was approved, and explaining your explanation of benefits
• pulling up your ID card and over the counter benefits
• rewards and wellness programs
• scheduling appointments

The March release said Avery can call network primary care doctors to book an appointment for a member.

When Avery passes a member to an advocate, it sends a summary along, the company says. The member does not have to repeat the question or upload documents again.

The bigger AI push

Avery is one of more than 1,000 AI tools in use across UnitedHealth Group. The company said in March it plans to invest $1.6 billion in AI this year. We looked at UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage business in an earlier story.

Why it matters: For UnitedHealthcare members, the first answer about a bill, a claim or a doctor can now come from Avery. The 90% figure is the company’s own number. If Avery gets something wrong about your coverage, ask for an advocate and check the answer against your plan documents.