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June 15, 2026
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Pictured left to right: Bridget Kegelman, Software Engineer, Moody's; Akhil Joseph, Lead AI/ML Engineer, IBX; Hemanth Shahukaru, Software Engineer, Moody's; and Gulibaikelamu Xiafukaiti, Data Scientist, IBX
A team of associates from Independence Blue Cross’s (IBX) Advanced Analytics and Data Science department won first place at a recent Google Code for the Cure Hackathon in New York City. The event, run by Google Cloud, brings together teams to build real-world AI solutions to health care challenges. In just four hours, the IBX team designed and built a fully functional prototype that shows how AI can make prior authorization decisions clearer, more consistent, and fair for patients and providers.
“This recognition reflects our continued focus on using innovative technologies like AI to improve the health care experience. We are committed to developing solutions that improve transparency, support better decisions, and deliver a more equitable experience for the members and communities we serve,” said Ravi Chawla, vice president and chief analytics officer at Independence Blue Cross.
IBX’s winning solution focused on improving transparency, strengthening decision-making, and promoting more equitable outcomes in prior authorization. The team developed a multi-agent AI system that works in two key areas:
• Data provenance and traceability. Tracking how data and decisions move through the prior authorization process, creating a clear, auditable record of how each decision is made and helping confirm the information is accurate and reliable.
• Bias detection and evaluation. Examining patterns in past decisions to identify potential bias and support more fair and consistent outcomes.
To turn these insights into action, the IBX team paired the system with intuitive decision-support reports and a user-friendly interface that fits seamlessly into real-world workflows. The solution was built using Google Cloud technologies, enabling multiple AI agents to work together in a coordinated system.
“What made this experience especially rewarding was how quickly our team was able to move from concept to a fully functional solution,” said Aaron Smith-McLallen, PhD, executive director of Data Science and Health Outcomes Research at Independence Blue Cross. “We’re continuing to look at real health challenges and where AI can help in practical ways that can scale.”
The IBX team included Smith-McLallen, Generative AI Program Manager Renee Biggs, Lead AI/ML Engineer Akhil Joseph, and Data Scientist Gulibaikelamu Xiafukaiti. They were supported by Bridget Kegelman and Shahukaru Hemanth, software engineers at Moody’s.
By participating in events like Code for the Cure, IBX is helping to advance ideas that can make a meaningful difference for members, providers, and the broader health care system.
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