Rudy Lai

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Companies

We analyzed the enterprise AI use cases of 9 healthcare companies to understand trends, impact, and insights.

Healthcare companies' adoption of AI

Quarterly AI use cases in Healthcare
AI use cases in Healthcare by traditional/generative/agentic

Overview

UnitedHealth

UnitedHealth Group has aggressively expanded its AI applications, reaching 1000+ AI use cases in production by mid-2025, spanning claims processing, customer service chatbots, clinician visit transcription, and predictive analytics.

McKesson

McKesson's AI strategy shows a clear progressive adoption and expansion from initial data centralization and AI integration for healthcare predictions in 2019, to advanced AI-powered oncology data solutions and supply chain optimizations by 2025-2026.

Cigna

Cigna has progressively expanded AI adoption from initial uses in patient adherence and outcomes (starting 2019-2021) to large-scale implementation of generative AI-powered digital tools and virtual assistants by mid-2025, enhancing customer service and operational efficiency.

Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health has progressively integrated AI into healthcare and supply chain operations since 2019, with notable milestones including the launch of the Navista suite in 2021 and acquisition of Specialty Networks in 2024 for its AI-based analytics capabilities.

Elevance Health

Elevance Health has progressively integrated AI into its healthcare services since 2023, expanding AI-powered concierge care to over 40,000 members and employing AI to enhance diagnostics, call center efficiency, and personalized patient outreach, underpinning a strategy focused on data-driven, consumer-centered healthcare.

HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare has progressively scaled its adoption of AI technologies from piloting generative AI tools with Google Cloud in emergency rooms and nurse handoffs to broad deployment across nearly 200 hospitals by Q3 2025, focusing on enhancing clinical documentation, patient safety, and operational efficiency.

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson has significantly accelerated its AI initiatives from early-stage collaborations with Nvidia on surgical AI in early 2024 to launching focused investment funds and refining AI strategies by mid-2025, emphasizing high-impact areas such as surgery, drug discovery, and supply chain optimization.

Merck & Co.

Merck has rapidly advanced AI adoption from late 2023 through early 2026, incorporating generative AI, machine learning, and computer-aided drug design to accelerate drug discovery, improve clinical trial processes, and optimize drug manufacturing. Key partnerships include Vector Institute and Variational AI, with deals worth hundreds of millions for AI-driven small molecule development.

Pfizer

Pfizer has progressively integrated AI and machine learning across its pharmaceutical development, marketing, compliance, and operational processes, evolving from traditional predictive ML since 2014 to extensive use of generative and agentic AI by 2025.

47 Use Cases in Healthcare

CompanyUse Case
Johnson & Johnson
Surgical Automation
Johnson & Johnson leverages AI to automate surgical documentation and enhance surgery through AI-driven connected digital ecosystems and robotic-assisted platforms like MONARCH™, improving procedure accuracy and efficiency.
agentic
McKesson
Provider Burden Reduction
The US Oncology Network uses AI to extract clinical data and streamline workflows, reducing provider workload while enhancing patient outcomes in community oncology settings.
traditional
Pfizer
Clinical Trial Optimization
AI algorithms analyze ongoing study data to increase clinical trial feasibility, improve patient recruitment efficiency, reduce failure rates, and provide real-time adaptive insights that enhance clinical operations and trial outcomes.
traditional
Elevance Health
Prior Authorization
Elevance uses AI via its Health OS platform to streamline prior authorization and clinical decision-making processes, reducing administrative workload for providers.
traditional
Elevance Health
Personalized Outreach
AI systems generate alerts and outreach messages via texts, apps, or emails to close care gaps and tailor patient communication for better health engagement.
traditional
Johnson & Johnson
Remote Monitoring
Johnson & Johnson employs AI-driven remote patient monitoring technologies to improve patient health management and clinical trial efficiency by collecting and analyzing real-time health data.
traditional
Cardinal Health
Supply Forecasting
AI and machine learning systems support demand forecasting and inventory optimization in pharmaceutical supply chain management to reduce waste and ensure product availability.
traditional
HCA Healthcare
Patient Safety
HCA is deploying AI tools such as AI-assisted fetal heart rate monitoring and AI-enabled wearable cameras to detect medication errors, aiming to reduce clinical risks and improve early detection of medical conditions like cerebral aneurysms.
traditional
UnitedHealth
AI Oversight
To address AI controversy and ensure responsible use, UnitedHealth appointed Michael Pencina as Chief AI Scientist to lead oversight, aiming to enhance safety and compliance in AI decision-making.
traditional
Cigna
Clinical Imaging
Cigna covers AI-powered cardiovascular imaging solutions that analyze coronary plaque and improve diagnostic accuracy, thereby supporting clinical decisions and reducing healthcare costs.
traditional
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