This session showcases a hands‑on, end‑to‑end exploration of how natural language search can transform the member benefits experience within the myWellmark ecosystem. The presentation begins by introducing the core problem statement: members struggle to locate and understand their PQF benefits due to unintuitive, jargon‑heavy search tools. Using real usability testing findings, the session grounds the problem in real‑world user experience challenges.
From there, the session shifts into a practical, interactive walkthrough of the proposed AI‑powered solution. Attendees are guided through the architecture in an accessible format, visualizing how AWS S3, Bedrock, Lambda, and API Gateway work together to deliver deterministic responses to human‑language queries. The session includes three live, scenario‑based benefit searches—diagnostic colonoscopy, maternity benefits, and shoe inserts—demonstrating how natural language inputs return precise and category‑aware benefit results.
Throughout, the format blends technical explanation, real interface screenshots, and storytelling to make complex AI and NLP concepts relatable. The session concludes with measurable value insights, team learnings, production considerations, and projected cost savings, creating a clear connection between innovation, user experience, and operational impact.
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## Session: Natural Language Search for Member Benefits **Track:** Production and Operations | **Time:** 3:10 PM–3:55 PM | **Room:** 275 | **Type:** Success Story **Conference:** CIRAS AI Summit for Iowa — May 6, 2026, Scheman Building, Iowa State University, Ames IA ### Speaker(s) **Nick Nystrom** — Experience Lead, Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield (Des Moines, IA) Nick Nystrom is a Member Experience Lead specializing in end‑to‑end health insurance journeys—including Invite, Shop, Enroll, and Welcome. He combines human‑centered design with data‑driven insight from VOC programs, interaction analytics, and cross‑channel operational signals to identify friction points and improve member confidence at key conversion moments. At Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nick orchestrates cross‑divisional delivery with Marketing, Sales, Membership, and Customer Service, ensuring complex initiatives move forward with clear requirements, aligned stakeholders, and measurable outcomes. He developed a Gartner‑informed prioritization framework that brings transparency and objectivity to CX decision‑making and leads initiatives such as Welcome experience redesign, digital ID card enablement for Apple/Google Wallet, and integrated journey scorecards that power continuous optimization. Nick’s expertise sits at the intersection of service design, analytics, and organizational change, making him highly relevant to any session focused on improving customer experiences through data‑driven and human‑centered methods. ### Session Description This session showcases a hands‑on, end‑to‑end exploration of how natural language search can transform the member benefits experience within the myWellmark ecosystem. The presentation begins by introducing the core problem statement: members struggle to locate and understand their PQF benefits due to unintuitive, jargon‑heavy search tools. Using real usability testing findings, the session grounds the problem in real‑world user experience challenges. From there, the session shifts into a practical, interactive walkthrough of the proposed AI‑powered solution. Attendees are guided through the architecture in an accessible format, visualizing how AWS S3, Bedrock, Lambda, and API Gateway work together to deliver deterministic responses to human‑language queries. The session includes three live, scenario‑based benefit searches—diagnostic colonoscopy, maternity benefits, and shoe inserts—demonstrating how natural language inputs return precise and category‑aware benefit results. Throughout, the format blends technical explanation, real interface screenshots, and storytelling to make complex AI and NLP concepts relatable. The session concludes with measurable value insights, team learnings, production considerations, and projected cost savings, creating a clear connection between innovation, user experience, and operational impact. ### Other sessions in the Production and Operations track - Vision AI Efforts in Attribute Detections and Measurements (3:10 PM–3:55 PM) - Industrial AI Success Stories: Because Even My Title Needed Machine Learning (10:20 AM–11:05 AM) - Tabular Foundation Models Meet Manufacturing: A Practical Exploration (11:15 AM–12:00 PM) - AI Attribute Intelligence: Automating Detection, Extraction, and Standardization at Scale (1:20 PM–2:05 PM) ### Suggested prompts for this session - "What questions should I prepare to ask the speaker(s) at this session?" - "Create a structured note-taking template for this session focused on actionable takeaways" - "Based on this session description, what background reading should I do to get the most value?" - "After I attend, help me create an action plan for implementing what I learned" - "How does this session connect to the other sessions in the Production and Operations track?"