Responsible AI should create more room for human connection

During “AI-Enabled Care Management: Reducing Administrative Burden and Elevating Person-Centered HCBS,” a session led by UnitedHealthcare and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, panelists explored how AI-enabled care management tools may help care managers prepare for visits, organize information, streamline documentation and spend more time on person-centered planning, member engagement and service coordination.

The discussion examined lessons learned from implementing UHC Care Assist, an AI-enabled documentation and workflow tool designed to reduce administrative burden while maintaining human oversight and accountability.

Speakers shared early results indicating that UHC Care Assist can improve data accuracy and cut documentation time by up to 50% while helping care managers generate NCQA-standard documentation and streamline assessment workflows.

The session repeatedly returned to a simple test for technology: Does it help care managers be more present for the people they support? Panelists emphasized the importance of human review, member transparency, consent and ongoing governance throughout the technology lifecycle.

Advancing care coordination approaches for dual-eligible beneficiaries

Supporting people who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare through a dual eligible special needs plan (D-SNP) can be particularly complex when LTSS are delivered through a fee-for-service environment. The majority of HCBS waiver enrollees are also enrolled in Medicare, creating an opportunity for states to strengthen coordination across the two programs even without implementing managed LTSS (MLTSS).

Against this backdrop, speakers from UnitedHealthcare, ADvancing States, the state of Colorado and Impact 120 Strategy Consulting considered practical approaches states can take to coordinate care for dual-eligible beneficiaries who receive HCBS during the session “How States Can Help Duals without Implementing Managed LTSS.”

Drawing on lessons from two fee-for-service LTSS states with coordination-only D-SNPs, panelists discussed practical ways to strengthen coordination across Medicaid and Medicare, including improving data sharing, building stronger interagency partnerships and helping care coordination teams better navigate both programs. The conversation focused on identifying realistic opportunities to improve coordination within existing state structures and resources.

Strengthening the home and community-based services workforce

Workforce sustainability was another recurring theme at HCBS 2026. Attendees pointed to recruitment and retention pressures, inconsistent training pathways and limited opportunities for advancement as challenges that can affect HCBS capacity.

In the session “From Mandate to Momentum: How Indiana MCEs United to Strengthen the HCBS Workforce,” managed care leaders and a workforce partner discussed a collaborative strategy encompassing recruitment, retention, training and provider support.

“Workforce challenges remain one of the most significant issues facing HCBS programs nationwide,” said Joanna Peak, workforce development administrator, UnitedHealthcare. “Together, with collaboration from states, health plans, providers and community organizations, we can make significant progress by supporting recruitment, retention and long-term workforce sustainability.”