The future of benefits is AI: fast, personalized, and private

The future of benefits is AI: fast, personalized, and private

Employee benefits are notoriously confusing to employees. How much does it cost me to see a specialist? What is my deductible? Are these medical bills correct? These questions are difficult even for seasoned HR professionals to answer. 

One of the first teams we built at Nava was our “Benefits Advocates”. This team is staffed by people with years of experience in health insurance and employee benefits. Employees reach out through our app and get answers to their questions – no matter how large or small. This saves hundreds of hours each year for HR teams and helps employees understand and use their benefits. 

At the beginning of this year we asked ourselves how we could improve this service. The most obvious way was to make it faster. Speed matters, especially when it comes to healthcare. By using the latest AI technologies, we knew that we could augment our team of Benefits Advocates with an always-on benefits expert ready to help our users. 

I’m excited to announce Nava’s latest innovation: An AI-powered Benefits Assistant. 

Always-on benefits expertise

The Benefits Assistant is designed to help employees navigate the confusing world of employee benefits. This was hard in some obvious ways – every employer has different benefits plans and benefits plans are very complicated. Have you ever read a “Summary of Benefits and Coverage” document? They’re a great at-home cure for insomnia. 

But the problem is actually more complex than that. Every employee at every company has a different combination of medical, dental, vision, and other insurance plans that they’ve enrolled in. There is no single benefits plan for the company – each employee has a unique product SKU. The Benefits Assistant must be able to answer accurately for each employee based on their benefits elections. 

The good news is that our talented data science and engineering teams figured this out. And the results are awesome. Users are able to ask benefits questions and get personalized answers in a matter of moments. These include questions like: 

• How much does it cost for an emergency room visit? 
• Does my dental plan cover braces? 
• How much do I have to pay for frames on glasses? 
• Do I need a prior authorization to see a specialist? 
• And so much more. 

What’s cool is that the assistant doesn’t just know about the core benefits an employee has elected. It also knows about all of the other benefits the company offers. This includes things like a mental health benefit, a wellness program, and even company perks like a work from home stipend or cell phone reimbursement. 

Privacy by default

We understand the importance of delivering personalized, accurate responses without compromising the confidentiality of the individuals seeking answers. That’s why we’ve designed our AI assistant to offer personalized insights while keeping users completely anonymous.

The assistant doesn’t collect any personal data—it doesn’t know who the user is, what their role is, or even the company they work for. Instead, it uses a proprietary system design to generate responses tailored to the questions asked, ensuring relevance without the need for personal identification. By doing this, we maintain a high level of personalization while fully respecting user anonymity.

This approach not only protects privacy but also fosters trust. Users can feel confident that their queries remain private, and their identity stays secure. Whether it’s a question about benefits, policies, or any other topic, the assistant delivers intelligent, personalized support without ever knowing who’s asking.

Seamless service integration 

With the Benefit Assistant, employees get the best of both worlds: instant answers for routine questions and access to a human Benefits Advocate whenever they need it. The assistant efficiently handles the majority of questions with fast and accurate responses. When a more detailed or personalized touch is required, all relevant information is seamlessly transferred to one of our Benefits Advocates, ensuring continuity and avoiding any repetition from the user.

And if at any point employees prefer to speak with a human, they’re always just a tap away from connecting with our team of experts. This flexible approach ensures that they get the support they need on their own terms. 

“Fix healthcare” starts here

"As an HR team of one, I’m always looking for ways to make my job easier, and the Nava Benefits Assistant is set to be a game-changer. This AI technology will not only handle many of the basic questions employees have—freeing up my time and theirs—but it will also make them more comfortable asking personal questions. With the Nava Benefits Assistant providing quick and accurate responses, I’ll be able to focus more on strategic initiatives, giving us time back and improving the employee experience."

- Keith Trevino, HR Manager, The Medcor Group

At Nava, we believe that “fix healthcare” starts with individual people navigating the complicated (and often scary) healthcare system. Our Benefits Assistant is one more tool we’re giving employees to navigate this system with confidence and ease. And it’s one more way we’re helping HR professionals support their employees. 

This is just the beginning. We’re thrilled about the possibilities ahead for HR teams and the employees they support. Your questions and feedback are always welcome, and we’d love to hear from you. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our press release on this exciting announcement, you can find it here.