UnitedHealth Uses AI to Rebuild U.S. Healthcare Payments System

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum has launched the Optum Real platform, which uses AI to automate medical claims, reviews and reimbursements, turning processes that rely on manual and batch operations into real-time digital exchanges. The initiative could improve the efficiency of U.S. healthcare payments and affect how funds move among healthcare providers, insurers and patients.

Under its latest plans, Optum Real is expected to process 2.5 billion transactions by the end of 2026. UnitedHealth said the platform could cut labor costs by 76% and shorten claims and reimbursement processing times. Public disclosures have not specified the system’s investment cost or actual dollar savings.