Sierra and Stellarus to Accelerate AI-Driven Transformation for Health Plans

Collaboration combines industry-leading AI technology with deep healthcare expertise and operational foundation to improve member experiences and operational efficiency 

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stellarus, a healthcare technology company, and Sierra, the leading AI-powered customer experience platform, today announced a strategic partnership to help health plans deploy AI responsibly and at scale.

Through this partnership, Sierra’s advanced AI technology will be integrated into the Stellarus core platform and will benefit from the company’s domain expertise and operational rigor to create a scalable model for health plans looking to apply artificial intelligence in member-facing environments.

Health plans face increasing pressure to deliver more personalized, accessible experiences, such as quickly answering complex benefit questions or notifying members about upcoming preventive care opportunities like immunizations and screenings, all while managing rising costs and operational complexity. As a direct response to these industry challenges, innovative solutions utilizing AI are being deployed to transform how members interact with their health plans.

Stellarus and Sierra recently launched a pilot with Blue Shield of California, one of the state’s largest nonprofit health plans serving more than six million members. The health plan deployed its AI voice agent, built on Sierra, to handle selected benefits and coverage questions for a large national employer. Designed to be available 24/7, the AI agent provides accurate, plan-specific responses without hold times. Across thousands of member interactions, the experience is rated at 4.4 (out of 5) Customer Satisfaction Score.

This approach empowers employees to focus their expertise on more complex and meaningful member needs, allowing them to deliver higher-value support and solve tougher challenges.

“We built Sierra to handle the most complex, high-stakes conversations across any industry and healthcare is proving to be one of the most transformative,” said Bret Taylor, CEO of Sierra. “Blue Shield of California’s results show what’s possible when conversational AI truly understands context and nuance. Partners like Stellarus help health plans realize that potential faster by bringing the healthcare-specific expertise and infrastructure that accelerates deployment.”

“Health plans struggle to realize value from AI not because the technology isn’t ready, but because their current infrastructure makes change difficult. Stellarus removes that friction with a flexible data and orchestration layer and partnering with Sierra allows us to deploy AI faster and more safely, without custom rewrites or operational disruption,” said Vanessa Colella, President & CEO of Stellarus.

Beyond reactive support, Sierra and Stellarus are collaborating on new use cases that allow AI agents to proactively support members throughout their healthcare journeys, anticipating needs, reducing friction, and improving outcomes.

For more information, please visit www.stellarus.com.

About Stellarus
Part of the Ascendiun family of companies, which includes Blue Shield of California, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and Altais, Stellarus is a healthcare technology and strategic solutions company that aims to drive measurable outcomes for health plans with products and services built and delivered via its technology innovation platform. Stellarus’ unique technology model is designed to enable plans to automate and improve operations, reduce administrative costs and enhance member experience. We’re changing the status quo by empowering partners to create a healthcare experience worthy of their family, friends and neighbors. For more information on Stellarus, please visit www.stellarus.com.

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Mezzanine Advisors
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SOURCE Stellarus