Intuition Robotics is working to expand access to its AI social robot ElliQ among older populations through partnerships with Medicare Advantage plans, managed care organizations, and state governments.
The company is currently expanding its reach to Medicaid participants in Washington state. Washington State has approved a statewide reimbursement code for the company’s companion robot ElliQ, allowing eligible beneficiaries to receive the technology as part of their home care services. ElliQ is now available as a smart care device to Washington Medicaid eligibles enrolled in Community First Choice or Roads to Community Living Medicaid long-term services and supports programs, the company announced in March.
Intuition Robotics CEO and co-founder Dor Skuler says this is the first time in the nation that a social AI robot will be fully reimbursed through Medicaid. Washington was also the first state to qualify eligible Medicaid participants without a cap.
“This is the first time in the U.S. that a healthcare provider will fully reimburse an AI-native product, and the first time that a healthcare provider will fully reimburse a talking robot companion,” Sklar said.
ElliQ is a voice-controlled, AI-enabled caregiving companion robot. It looks like a small desk lamp with an eyeless head that lights up and rotates. The device supports self-determination that promotes independent living, expands client choice, and complements existing home care services.
ElliQ is designed to be proactive and empathetic. Start conversations, provide reminders, suggest personalized wellness activities, and engage in two-way dialogue. Robots perform daily check-ins, support health and wellness, and provide social engagement and access to services. The use of this interactive technology can help alleviate the burden of a lack of in-person caregivers and promote independence for people who prefer living at home rather than in a nursing home.
Intuition Robotics uses AI to support daily tasks and health-related activities such as medication and appointment reminders, designed to help adults with physical disabilities and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities stay connected through activities and family communication.
The company initially worked with the Washington State Olympic Area Agency on Aging on a pilot program targeting individuals in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. During that pilot, participants used ElliQ an average of 60 times per day, 100% felt ElliQ helped improve their health, and 95% of participants reported feeling less lonely. Additionally, 85% of participants said ElliQ was easy to use, and 43% of participants said ElliQ’s presence and ability to connect them to family, friends, and services made them feel safer and less lonely and anxious.
Participants in the ElliQ pilot program also engaged in an average of 145 health-related activities and 130 wellness-related activities each year, demonstrating sustained engagement in practices such as exercise, mindfulness, and social connection.
The success of this pilot prompted Washington state leadership to work on a new code to make ElliQ fully refundable and available to people in Community First Choice, Sklar said.
Over the past year, Intuition Robotics has added new features like a caregiver app and deployed advanced AI and large-scale language models to further drive engagement. The ElliQ Health Agent provides a suite of AI insights, including continuous activities of daily living (IADL) estimation scoring, personalized check-ins and follow-ups, fall risk assessment, behavioral change detection, and the generation of “Check Engine Light” alerts that signal clinicians when a clinical evaluation is recommended based on changes in a senior’s condition.
ElliQ Health Agents also drive assessment and screening fulfillment, including HRA (Health Risk Assessment), PHQ2, and GAD 2, and help identify and fill gaps in care related to CAHPS and HEDIS. According to the company, this will enable ElliQ to leverage engagement to support health plans and providers with both quality measures and preventive care workflows.
Intuition Robotics is expanding its partnerships with managed care organizations and state governments, but has ambitions to secure broader insurance coverage, particularly Medicaid and Medicare.
“We had to think about how we could change the story from all the good things ElliQ does for seniors to good things for health plans and payers. It’s measured in a specific population, not an individual’s quality of life, health level, or period of health. That’s how we used to measure it. That’s a big part of what we did on the go-to-market side, and that means a lot of features and a lot of features.
He argued that Medicaid reimbursement in Washington State lays the foundation for improved access to ElliQ devices while also providing financial ROI for the Medicaid program.
“Any solution that allows that person to stay in their home and maintain their independence will improve that person’s quality of life and reduce costs for the state. Even if it only ends up giving them one more year of independence and doesn’t necessarily mean they need to avoid a nursing home, it’s worth it to extend that person’s healthy life and extend their independence for a longer period of time,” he said.
